Safe and Sound
by PartyPoison
Summary: Grace, a peacher's daughter, takes refuge in the woods after her school is attacked. Daryl manages to stumble upon her while hunting. He brings her back to camp but he doesn't expect the feelings that soon arise between the two. Daryl Dixon isn't a man made for love...but maybe he should rethink that. Daryl/OC M for language, gore, and sexual situations.
1. The Best Day

**Safe and Sound**

* * *

**Chapter 1: The Best Day**

* * *

"Happy Homecoming!" Abigail said as she hugged Grace tightly around the waist. Grace giggled softly as her red-headed friend squeezed the life out of her.

"We're finally seniors, Abby!" She squealed in excited, brushing some of her blonde hair out of her eyes and Abby released her.

"And someone's finally turning eighteen!" Abby exclaimed.

Grace smiled. Because of the excitement of her first senior dance she had completely forgotten that today was her birthday. She hugged Abby once more, not quite sure how to convey her excitement.

"Do you know what this means?!" Abby said. "You might be able to get us into some clubs in Atlanta!"

Grace giggled. Abby has always been obsessed with finally getting in to the 18+ clubs in the city that wasn't that far from their own small town. But she doubted her conservative mother and father would let her even think about going to the city at night, especially without them there. She knew of the dangers, but she knew she could handle herself. Growing up next the woods, her dad had taught her all sorts of survival tricks. She knew how to handle a gun and a knife. She also knew how to set up some nasty traps, not that it would help her much in the city. She never actually had to use any-she was much too squeamish to accompany her dad on hunting trips.

"As if my father would let me." She laughed letting her friend go again.

Abby just smirked, "What he doesn't know won't hurt him!"

Grace just shook her head and Abby smiled once more before going to talk to a few other people at the pre-party she was throwing at her house.

Grace walked away also; making her way into the nearest bathroom to glance at herself in the mirror and make sure everything was perfect for the homecoming pictures. Her blues eyes were lined perfectly with some eyeliner and mascara. Her high cheekbones had been emphasized by some bronzer and her small nose powered to not be oily. The few freckles she had on her face stood out against her light sun-kissed skin and her long, blonde hair fell in delicate curls around her face. Everything was perfect.

She glanced at the full length mirror hanging on the door. She was wearing a one-shoulder dress that flowed perfectly down her tall frame. It was light lavender. It was plain except for the few darker purple flowers that decorated the top. She looked like the perfect Southern gem.

Suddenly Abby barged into the bathroom, a grin on her face.

"Oh Grace, Bobby just arrived." She said.

Grace's face lit up, her cheeks turning red as she exited the bathroom. Bobby, with his dark hair and stunning blue eyes had been her crush since freshmen year. He hadn't paid much attention to her, but lately she had caught his attention and she was hoping tonight would be the night he asked her to be his girlfriend.

She fiddled with her necklace once she caught sight of him. He caught her gaze and gave her a smile.

Tonight would be perfect, she decided. Absolutely perfect.

* * *

She didn't know how long she'd been in the forest for. Judging by the hunger pains in her stomach and the horrible state of her hair-she'd say probably several days. Ever since she had discovered the dead were horrible at climbing, she'd been sticking to staying in the trees by the creek only coming down when she needed to some water or needing to pee. She wouldn't last much longer up here, not without food anyways and she knew she had to try and find civilization or go back to town soon. But Grace didn't know if she could face it. If the government had managed to control the area, there was bound to be dead bodies littering the floor everywhere. And what if they hadn't helped yet? There could be more of those….of those things walking around waiting to feast on the nearest living thing.

She let out a sigh and brushed her dirty hair from her face. She would try and last out here in the forest where only a few of those things resided until she absolutely had to go back. Hopefully, by then everything would be sorted out. All she wanted was to go back. Back to the day before all this happened, when she knew she was safe. When all Grace had to worry about was how she was going to do her hair for homecoming-when she could see my parents whenever she wanted-tell them she loved them…

Those thoughts were wiped from her mind when she heard a twig snap nearby.

"Merle, keep ya' fat ass quiet. Yer scarin' the squirrels away." Someone with a strong Georgia accent hissed.

Grace froze in her stop, trying to conceal herself with the surrounding branches and leaves.

"Yer face has been scarin' them away this whole time." The other person, Merle she assumed, yelled back.

By the sounds of their footsteps they were getting closer.

The other person never replied and they kept getting closer. She pushed herself against the tree, trying to make herself as flat as a board as she heard them only a few feet away. She tried to quiet her breathing as she caught sight of them. There were only two of them. One appeared to be as old as maybe forty with thinning light blonde hair and the beginnings of a beer belly. The other looked younger, maybe a few years older than her with darker hair and grim all over his face. In his hand he carried a crossbow instantly making him appear as a threat. She squeezed her eyes shut and prayed they didn't see her.

She heard them stop right below the tree she was hiding on.

"Looks like none of them squirrels came out to play today." The one with the crossbow said.

They went silent and she continued to push herself flat against the tree, holding her breath and squeezing her eyes shut.

"Well, wouldja' look at that." The one named Merle said, "I think I've found the biggest squirrel I've ever seen!"

She peeked her eyes opened and almost fell out of the tree in shock as she caught his gaze. The one with the crossbow whipped around, pointing his weapon up to where she was sitting. This time she did let out a little gasp and prepared herself for the impact of the arrow which would no doubt kill her. But it never came. She opened her eyes again to see them both staring at her with the crossbow still raised.

"What's a pretty thing like ya' doin' up there?" The older one chuckled while the younger one merely glared at her.

Grace stayed quiet.

"What if she's a walker man?" Crossbow said.

"Ya' know them walkers don't climb no trees." Merle said.

"What if she's different?"

"Why don't ya' come down from up there, girl?" Merle yelled up to her.

She was still unsure if she should trust these people. Ever since the world went to hell, she wasn't sure whether this people were looking to help or looking for…well she didn't even want to know. Besides, that guy with the crossbow did not look in any way friendly. His face was twisted in a scowl, dirt covering his cheeks and his hair soaked with sweat. The man next to him had a smile on his face, but it was like a look a predator would give its prey.

"She's not sayin' anything, Merle." Crossbow said. "It's probably one of them walkers that got themselves stuck up in some tree and can't get down to eat us. I say we just kill it."

"Maybe she's just shy, brother." Merle winked. Grace felt a chill roll down her spine.

Suddenly, an arrow whizzed by her ear, almost piercing her head when it came to a stop-stuck in the tree bark right next to her. She let out a small scream and then glared down at the guy with the crossbow.

"Are you trying to kill me?" She gasped, grasping onto the tree branch she was sitting on for dear life. She was definitely not coming down now.

"So ya' do have a voice." Crossbow muttered, lowering his arrow. "Why don't ya' get the fuck outta that tree and come down here?"

"Yeah girl, we can take ya' to our campsite." Merle said.

"You just tried to shoot me. Why should I go with you?" Grace asked.

"Well it's either come with us or stay up in that tree and let them walkers get to ya'." Crossbow said.

Grace fiddled with her blonde hair and she weighed her option. They had mentioned a campsite. Possibly a campsite that held other survivors-maybe even people from her town…

"You mentioned a campsite?" She asked.

"Yeah we got ourselves one of those. There's other women there-a girl yer age too." Merle said.

A girl her age? Maybe someone from her town was there. With some hope in her heart, she decided to go with these strange men.

She started to climb down when Crossbow's voice stopped her.

"Mind grabbin' my arrow?" He asked-though it sounded more like a demand. She tried to rip the arrow from the tree but it was stuck in pretty deep. She bit her lip and tugged on it with all her weight. The arrow finally came out of the tree but so suddenly that Grace wasn't prepared and it threw her right off the branch she was sitting on. She let out a little scream as she fell towards the ground. Her long dress got stuck on the rough tree and ripped a huge hole mid thigh. Her back smacked against the hard ground of the forest knocking all the air out of her. She laid there for a moment to collect her breath as she heard laughter around her.

Grace slowly stood up and dusted herself off, glaring at the men laughing at her.

Crossbow chuckled as he plucked the arrow from her small hand, "What the hell were ya' doin' in a dress like that when shit hit the fan?"

She glared at him harder and huffed, "I was at my school's homecoming dance."

She sighed a little as she thought back to that day…

It was suppose to be the best day…the best day of her life.

"Looks like we got ourselves a teeny-bopper!" Merle laughed.

"I am not a teeny-bopper! I'm eighteen!" She huffed again.

Merle and Crossbow just laughed some more, "No need to pout that pretty lil' face."

She fought the urge to roll her eyes and ignored his comment. She bent down a little and glanced at her ruined dress that had cost her a fortune. She bit back a groan as she caught sight of the hole. She grabbed the end of the hole and tugged off the lower piece of the dress that was hanging off leaving the dress about half way up her thigh.

"Sorry 'bout yer dress, lil' lady." Merle said, "I'm sure one of them girls back at camp has something ya' can wear."

With that said, the two men started off and Grace trailed behind them.

* * *

Shane was the first to catch sight of the Dixon brothers chatting up as a strangler followed in behind them. He glanced at their companion. She looked young, maybe still a teenager. She had long, light blonde hair and skin the color of cream. She was wearing some fancy dress that looked torn, bloody and dirty. She wasn't in much better shape either.

"When we sent you out huntin', I didn't mean for people." Shane said as the trio walked into the campsite.

"Found this lil' bird on our way back." Merle bit back, "Figured a lil' lady like her shouldn't be alone in the woods."

Shane sighed but had to agree with him. She was small and didn't look like she could survive much on her own. It was a wonder she made it this long.

"What's your name, girl?" Shane asked, sounding harsher than he met. The girl glanced up at him with scared blue eyes.

"Grace." She muttered, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Grace, you said?" Shane said, "Well welcome to our camp I suppose."

She nodded at him, glancing around. She saw a few people come out of their tents to see what the ruckus was. There was a little boy who appeared to be nine or ten with a mop of brown hair and a sweet little face. Behind him was his mother, she supposed, with the same brown hair. There were a few more people- a family of four it seemed a few ways off and another family of three. By an old RV were an old, friendly looking man and two girls with blonde hair who looked related. There was a bigger black man standing next to an Asian boy who looked her age.

"There's not much room here and it doesn't look like you have your own tent on you." Shane said lightly, "But I'm sure the Dixon brothers or Glenn have some room they can spare."

He gestured towards the two men who had brought her in and the Asian boy who gave her a small smile. She looked back at the two Dixons. The older one shot her a wink that gave her the chills while the younger one just stared at her with his heavy stare. She decided to walk towards Glenn as the boy seemed nicer than the two brothers.

While she walked to him the camp went back to whatever they had been doing when she got there.

"Grace, is it?" The asian boy, Glenn said, holding out his hand.

She nodded and gave him a small smile, "Glenn, right?"

He nodded back.

"I guess I'll show you my tent. It's not much, but it's better than staying with those Dixon guys." He said.

She had to agree with him. The older one, Merle, struck a wrong cord inside her and the younger one just appeared mean. She glanced back at him for a moment, wondering what his name could possibly be since everyone kept calling them the Dixon brothers. He caught her staring and just look at her with that rough attitude of his. He smirked at her suddenly and held up a dead, gutted squirrel which instantly tested her gag reflexes.

Maybe she wasn't so curious now.

* * *

**Author's Note:** So I hope you guys enjoyed the beginning of the story(: Leave a review and let me know how you feel so far! I don't want to make Grace seem too innocent or young, but she is still a bit naïve about everything that's been happening since she did pull a Katniss and decide to live in the trees for a while ;) Anyways, Daryl is freaking sexy and I can't wait to get this story going! Till next time(:


	2. Innocent

**Safe and Sound**

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**Chapter 2: Innocent**

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"Never have I ever smoked pot." Grace said, holding up her both of her hands-three of her fingers down.

"Really?" Amy exclaimed as one of her fingers fell down. "Not even one hit?"

Amy glanced over at Glenn, her eyebrows pulled together and her face bewildered. Glenn's cheeks blushed a light red as none of his fingers moved. Her mouth dropped open.

"Not even you?" Amy said. "What is this? The Camp of the Saints?"

"My dad was a preacher." Grace shrugged innocently.

"Oh god." Amy muttered. "If anyone had told me the world was going to end, I never expected to be sharing the rest of my life with a preacher's daughter."

Grace giggled, not taking it offensively.

"Well, let's hear your excuse." Amy said, looking at Glenn.

"I just…parents were really strict." He muttered out, rubbing the back of his neck.

Grace wanted to laugh at his little lie but restrained herself. Every since she arrived at camp, her and Glenn had gotten really close. Being in the same tent, they would often talk about their past life or anything in general until one of them fell asleep. It was easier that way than having to listen to the noises from outside. Glenn had told her all about how he was bullied at school for being Asian and a pizza delivery boy. So she doubted he was invited to any parties were drugs and alcohol would be involved.

Amy rolled her eyes but let it go as Glenn and Grace shared a look.

"Glenn's turn." She said.

Glenn paused, thinking of what to say then smirked, "Never have I ever been to a Justin Bieber concert."

Amy looked at him questioningly, none of her fingers dropping, "Are you trying to prolong this game?"

Glenn just smirked as he looked at Grace and watched as she tried to discretely lower her index finger. Amy turned on her, face shocked and then she groaned.

"Maybe you should go play with the kids over there." Amy picked at her. "No smoking, no drinking and now Justin Bieber concerts?"

Glenn let out a little laugh as Grace blushed.

"What are you three doing over there?" Shane yelled out from a distance away. "Don't you have something you need to be doing?"

Amy rolled her eyes.

"Here comes Deputy Do-Good to ruin all our fun." She muttered under her breath as the three of them stood up from their spot on the ground. Amy left to go into the RV to find her sister and Dale while Glenn muttered something about dirty clothes and ran back to their tent.

Grace stood in her place as she glanced at Shane to see him staring at her intently. She didn't know what he expected her to do. Lori and Carol were teaching the children some math for some reason or another. Ed and Jim were lounging around. Crossbow was nowhere to be seen (she still needed to figure out his name) and his brother was hiding in his tent with some suspicious looking orange bottles.

Grace turned away from Shane and saw Glenn running back to her, clothes in hand. He chucked the clothes at her face and she caught them in surprise and then glared at him.

"What?" He asked, innocently, "It's your turn to clean our clothes."

Grace tried her best not to grimace as she noticed his boxers were sitting pretty close to her face.

"When did we make this deal?" She bit back, "And if you haven't noticed, I don't have any clothes besides my ruined dress."

Most of the women at camp did not have that many extra clothes, so Glenn allowed her to borrow his stuff. She was currently wearing a pair of shorts she borrowed from Lori and one of Glenn's t-shirts.

"Right now?" Glenn answered with a small smile, "Besides, you're wearing my clothes now so technically they're yours too! And I mean, I'll grab you some clothes the next time we make a trip into town-so consider this your payment."

Grace sighed but mentally agreed. Besides, it was hard to deny Glenn, especially with that small innocent smile of his.

"Fine, but next time you're washing the clothes." She said.

He nodded at her and she walked away, heading down to the lake by the camp.

She dropped the clothes by the shore and noticed Crossbow sitting on one of the rocks, gutting a dead squirrel. She grimaced but walked up to him, feeling a bit braver now. He seemed to notice her presence, but didn't say anything.

She stood in front of him, contemplating on what to say.

"What the hell do ya' need?" He garbled, annoyed by her silence, "Can't ya' see I'm busy?"

She fiddled with her clothes, feeling less brave, "I was just wondering why you always go hunting for squirrels."

"Why else would I go?" He asked, looking at her as if she was dumb, "So everyon' has sumthin' to eat so they shut the hell up."

"I meant, why don't you hunt for deer or something?" She asked, remembering how her father sometimes brought back dead deer and shriveled her nose.

"Ya' all sorts of dumb, aren't cha'?" He said and she glared at him.

"I'm sure there are more than just measly squirrels out in the forest." She bit back. This forest was much larger than the one behind her house and her dad managed to find deers there.

"Well if ya' think so, why don't ya' go out hunting?" He said harshly.

"Maybe I can teach you how to set up some deer traps." She said, feeling a little insecure because of his tone.

He dropped his knife and looked up at her; his eyes unfriendly.

"Look here ya' dumb bitch." He said, "You ain't got nuthin' ya' can teach me. So why don't ya' run along and go clean clothes or cook or sumthin' like a woman like you ought to be doin' and leave me the hell alone."

After his rant he went back to gutting his catch while Grace felt her face grow hot. She wasn't use to being talked to like that and she felt tears of embarrassment pooling in her eyes. She turned away from him and walked back to the pile of clothes as fast as she could, eager to get away from the cruel man.

She washed the clothes, doing a poor job of it because all she wanted to do was go back to camp and hide away in her tent. Once she was finished, she picked up the soaking clothes and walked back up the hill to hang them on the clothes line.

She finished and walked back into camp where she was instantly greeted by Glenn. He smiled at her but it dropped when he saw her face. She had a few tear streaks she hadn't managed to clean off yet, and her face looked mortified.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

Grace nodded and tugged her blonde hair out of its ponytail. Glenn didn't looked convinced and he glanced behind her to see Daryl walking up the hill.

"Did Daryl say something to you?" He asked.

Grace was confused for a moment, not knowing who Daryl was. She turned to follow his gaze and saw Crossbow glance at her for a moment before walking to his tent. So, his name was Daryl, she assumed. Daryl Dixon.

"No." She lied, "I'm fine."

"If you're sure." He said, still unconvinced, "Look, if Daryl did say something to you, just ignore him. He's not very nice. Racist, sexist, and just plain mean."

Grace nodded and muttered, "You can say that again."

Glenn chuckled, "Yeah. Anyways, me and a few others are going into town for some supplies. I'll look for some clothes for you while we're there. Anything I should look out for?"

Grace paused in thought, "Some shorts or skirts or something; it's so hot here. Anything pink. As long as we have scissors I can make do with anything. And see if you can find shoes or anything."

She looked down at her worn, bare feet. No one had any extra shoes on them and she only had her silver high heels from homecoming.

Glenn nodded and began to walk to a group that consisted of Andrea, T-dog, and Merle.

"Wait, Glenn?" She called out and the boy turned around.

"Be careful please!" She said, "I don't know what I would do without my roomie."

Glenn smiled at her, "I'll be fine."

She nodded at him and he walked away.

Grace bit her lip as she turned around to stare at the Dixon brothers' tent. It was fully zipped up and she could sense some movement from within. She wasn't too fond of either of the brothers since she met them. Merle was just plain creepy sometimes and Crossbow…well Daryl just seemed mean. Thinking of his words to her earlier, she suddenly felt angry…angry but determined.

She grabbed some of the cords from the supplies table and went off into the woods. She knew it might be stupid to go alone so she didn't venture very far from camp. Looking around, she managed to find six sturdy long sticks and collected those.

She continued walking until she stumbled upon some animal tracks and looked around for a big tree. She found one and began to tie a slipknot in the cord. Looking at the animal tracks closer, she was sure this was a deer so she made the hole about two feet wide. She tied the other end of the cord to the tree and set the sticks in the ground around the cord. She attached the cord to the sticks to make it stand up, ready to catch a deer by the neck as soon as it crossed its path. Looking at her hard work, she was proud of herself. This was the first time she had set up a trap without her dad's guidance.

Footsteps from behind her made her jump in surprise and she whirled around to see Daryl standing a few ways off. She glared at him.

"So ya' are a dumb bitch after all." He said, "Comin' in the woods all by yerself. Are ya' lookin' to be killed?"

Grace glared at him, angry again, "I'm not dumb. And I was setting up some traps."

Daryl ignored her attitude and looked around her to the trap.

"Not bad." He said, "Fer a girl and everythin'."

She bit her lip to refrain herself from biting back at him. She remembered her father's words quite clearly to never speak out against someone. Don't stoop to a level anything beyond what God has intended for us, he would say. In his memory, she wanted to follow his words very clearly. More now than anything. She had no guidance now. She was alone. So she would hold onto the things he had taught her.

She dusted her hands off and stalked past him but he grabbed onto her upper arm with a hard grip looking mad. She wasn't about to lie and say she wasn't scared. This man was obviously bigger than her, stronger than her and definitely pissed off.

"Listen girl." He snarled, "I saved yer ass didn' I? So it looks like ya' owe me. So why doncha do' me a favor and shut that pretty lil' mouth of yers and go back ta cleanin' everybody's clothes and cookin' for all us. Ya' betta' learn yer place in my world or things are gonna get messy."

She glared at him now. Who was he to tell her about her place in the world? God made the plans. God controlled her life. Not Daryl. This wasn't his Earth and she was not his creation. She couldn't restrain herself any longer.

"I don't owe you anything." She bit back. "And this isn't your world. God created us all. God created me for reasons unknown to anyone but him. So don't try to command me around. You are not my father."

Her words only angered him more and he pushed her back into a tree. She was frightened at the way he enclosed himself around her and desperately looked for a way to escape. She was beginning to play with fire and she wasn't even sure how much heat she could take.

"I heard about yer dad. Preacher ain't he? Well ya' better listen close girl. I ain't no preacher and I definitely ain't no holy man. Ya' think ya' can just come out here and start rattling that mouth of yers? I don't think so. I don't listen to no woman and I definitely ain't gonna be taking shit from ya'." He whispered harshly. And as she felt his breath on her lips, she realized just how close he was to her. She could feel the heat radiating off his body and he pressed her farther into the tree and her cheeks turned red. "If I wasn't for me, you'd be dead off in the woods somewhere. So ya' better learn to shut that mouth of yers."

He let go of her and backed away.

"Now get the fuck outta my sight." He said, turning around and stalking off into the woods with his hunting knife and crossbow.

She felt her knees collapse from under her as she realized she was holding her breath in. She slid her back down the tree and sat on the floor, drawing her knees into her chest.

Being from a small town that was highly religious, being the preacher's daughter meant she got automatic respect from anyone. People treated her like a child most of her life, even now that she was eighteen. She was a pure spirit, innocent as one can possibly be in the time and day at her age. She was use to cleaning and cooking for her dad with her mom, but it had never been demanded of her. She never had anyone talk to her the way Daryl did and although it was frightening, she couldn't help but enjoy it somehow. She was tired of being treated as someone special when she knew it was just because of her dad. Daryl had just made it very clear that he didn't care about her or where she came from and somehow…she liked it.

He was different, she decided. Rude, racist, sexist, shallow, aggressive, dominant, and flat out cruel. He was so different from anything she had ever experienced and as she sat on the floor, her back against the very tree he had just forced her against, she couldn't help but like the way he treated her.

As if she wasn't a child, wasn't some innocent preacher's daughter….

As if she wasn't anything.

* * *

_As long as you love me,_

_we could be starving, we could be homeless, we could be broke. _

_As you long as you love me,_

_I'll be your platinum, I'll be your silver, I'll be your gold._

Grace laughed as she danced alongside Abby, her hips swaying to the music and her lavender dress flowing with her moment. So far, the dance hadn't been particularly spectacular. The theme this year had been "Midnight Renegade" and some lights had been strung along the gym ceiling and a dj was stationed on a platform somewhere. Other lights lit the floor in colors of purple, red and white. Her school couldn't afford much else for a dance, so she supposed this was the best they could do.

But being here surrounded by her friends, she was having the time of her life.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Bobby standing off the dance floor, his gaze catching hers. She smiled lightly and whispered to her friends that she would be back, but she doubted they heard her over the music. They didn't appear to care as they continued dancing with each other as she walked off. Bobby met her halfway, taking her small hand in his.

"Having fun?" He asked, casually.

She nodded with the same small smile, "One of the best nights."

"I'm glad." He said, and then rubbed the back of his neck looking unsure.

Grace looked at him a little confused, wondering what he wanted to say to her.

"Is there something you wanted to say, Bobby?" She asked lightly, and her voice seemed to give him a little bit of courage.

"Look Grace, there's something I've been meaning to tell you for a while now." He said, looking straight into her eyes. She nodded at him to keep going, feeling her heart rise and butterflies come to life in her stomach.

"Every since I saw you, I've always thought you were the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." He said his voice low.

She smiled at him but didn't say anything as she knew he had more to say.

"And I've always wanted to have the chance to talk to you, to get to know you." He said. "And I'm happy I had the chance to do that this year."

Her smile grew a little bigger.

"And after all this time, I began to realize something." He said, "I-"

Suddenly he was cut off as the music shut off and people began screaming. Both Grace and Bobby looked around in shock and fear as people began running. Suddenly a voice came over the loud speaker.

"Please remain calm and report to the underground shelter for tornados." The voice of her principal said. "I repeat, please remain calm and report to the underground shelter for tornados."

"What's going on?" Grace yelled over the commotion, her hand still in Bobby's.

"I don't know." He said.

Suddenly someone screamed from nearby them and she looked over to see a person grabbing a girl from her science class and biting into her neck. Blood spilled out from the wound and splashed onto the floor. Grace looked back at Bobby, eyes wide in fright. He looked scared as well.

"Grace, come on." He said. "We need to get out of here! We need to get to the underground shelter!"

He tugged her along as he began weaving through bodies. All Grace could hear was painful screams and heart-chilling moans. Suddenly something cold grabbed her free arm and she turned around to see one of those…things trying to bite at her. She screamed in fright and Bobby whirled around at the noise. He yanked her free of the things hold and pulled her along as fast as he could to get away.

Suddenly, with everyone trying to get out the door, she was pushed in the crowd and she felt her hand slipping from Bobby's.

"Grace! Hang on!" He yelled over the tops of people's head.

She tried to hang on as tight as she could but her hand slipped out from his as she was pushed roughly.

"Bobby!" She screamed.

"Grace!" She heard him yelling but she was pushed from the doors and lost sight of him.

The last thing she heard from him was her named being screamed.

* * *

**Author's Note: So I hope you guys enjoyed the second chapter of Safe and Sound! I know Grace can seem a little bratty at times, but its only because of the way she was treated and raised in her town. Let me know what you think in a review! Oh and if you want to see what I envisioned Grace to look like, check out my profile. Until next time (:**

**Peperina-**Haha I loved writing dialogue for Merle! It was so fun. And I'm will try and keep Daryl in character as much as I can. One of the reasons I'm obsessed with him is because of his personality. He is golden, absolutely golden. If they kill him off in the new season starting soon, I will be absolutely heart broken! Haha thanks for the review and I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter!

**Emberka-2012-**I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! I hope you enjoyed this one as well (:

**Phen Frost-**When I began writing the story, I was going to use first person commentary but switched halfway through. I must have missed some of the slip ups while editing, sorry about that! As for the Grace's life before everything went to hell, I will definitely be entering little scenes here and there like the homecoming one in this chapter. Thanks for reviewing and I hope you liked this chapter as well! (:


	3. Mean

**Safe and Sound**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Mean**

* * *

Grace stood by the edge of the campsite, watching as the group of volunteers struggled to get enough weapons to defend themselves just in case they were attacked in the city. She hated seeing Glenn hold a large crowbar in his hands. It seemed out of place-the stark metal with the hint of violence against his innocent, harmonious expression. She was tempted to go and volunteer to get supplies as well, just to make sure nothing happened to any of them. But she knew she wasn't prepared for what she would see in the city and she would only make the group weaker with her lack of fighting skills. But that didn't stop her from wishing.

"Whadda' ya' doin' girl?" A rough voice came up behind her, making her jump in surprise. She glanced back to see Merle standing there, staring at her with that creepy grin. She bit back a grimace.

"I thought you were going in the city as well?" She asked. She was pretty sure Glenn had told her the man had volunteered, which had shocked her a bit. She didn't think Merle was all down for putting his life on the line for this group.

"Had to take a piss." He said, in that rough Georgia accent of his. "Got a problem wit' that?"

"No." She said, as her cheeks turned a bit red at the blunt mention of his urinary relief.

"Heard that yer lil' boyfrien' is comin' on the trip wit us." He said, nodded his head towards Glenn.

If her face wasn't red before, it definitely was now.

"Glenn isn't my boyfriend!" She exclaimed. In fact, he was quite the opposite. Ever since they had gotten close, he was almost a brotherly figure to her-not that she knew what it was like to have a brother being an only child.

"Sure thing, lil' lady." He said, with that smirk. "But if he is, ya' best end that shit righ' now. It'll do ya' no good to hang out with them chinks. Best ya' stay away from that nigga' too."

Grace, growing up in a predominately white neighborhood, had never experienced racism and was a little shocked that it was still going on.

"That's no way to talk about people, Mr. Dixon." She said, trying her best to be polite but stand up for her friends. She had already enraged one Dixon and she didn't want to see how Merle dealt with his anger.

"Mr. Dixon, eh?" Merle said, raising an eyebrow. "Now I could get use ta bein' called that fer sure. But those two aren't people like us, darlin'. Best ya' realize that now."

Grace figured it was no use trying to reason with him, "Whatever you say, Mr. Dixon. But can you at least promise you won't start anything with them? From what Glenn told me, things in the city are rough. I wouldn't want any trouble with the group."

"Can't promise ya' much, girl." He said. "Them two boys needa learn their place in this world. And from what my brother tells me, so do ya'."

Grace crossed her arms, "Yeah, well your brother isn't very nice."

"Taught him the best I could." He smiled, taking her insult as a compliment. "Have ya' seen that ugly ass fucker around?"

"Last time I saw him he was running off in the woods." She muttered, as thoughts of their last encounter popped up in her mind.

"Dick can't even cum tell his brother goodbye." Merle said, but he didn't look to upset about it.

"Hey, Dixon!" Andrea yelled from her place by the car, "Time to go!"

"Yeah it's time to go alrigh'." Merle muttered under his breath. "Time to go back to my tent and get that loud mouth of yers put to good use."

Grace let her jaw drop.

"Merle!" She exclaimed, hitting his arm lightly.

"What?" He asked, looking down at her. "Ya' jealous? Ya' can join in too, girl."

Grace's face turned bright red and she scoffed. That was the last thing she wanted to do.

"I've always wanted ta say I fucked a preacher's daughter." He smirked with a wink.

"Just go, Merle." She muttered under her embarrassment.

* * *

Grace sighed as she watched over the children playing on the field. Since the group left, she had been assigned the task of watching the children while the other women went down to the lake to clean clothes. She had played with the children for a while before getting tired of their child-like enthusiasm and had resided to sitting by a tree watching them play tag. She had given the one rule: not to leave her sight.

Lori and Carol had told that they would come get them when they got back. She figured it wouldn't be for a while.

"Hey! Grace!" Sophia called out to her with a sweet voice.

Grace got up and walked over to the children where they were sitting. It seemed as though they had stopped playing tag.

"What do you need, Sophia?" She asked lightly.

"We're playing duck, duck, goose now." She said, happily. "Do you want to play?"

Grace couldn't deny her with that little smile on her face, "I'll play with you guys."

So she played with the children for a while. They laughed at her trying to catch Carl but the little boy was much too fast for her. For a moment, just sitting here playing with the children, she was reminded of all the times she volunteered at the church for daycare. Although the world had gone to hell, these children still held the innocence and child-like enjoyment the children she use to watch had. She could tell however, from their worn feet and dirty faces, that they were being hardened by the events of the world. She just hoped it wouldn't change them too much.

"Hey Grace." A voice whispered next to her. She turned down to see Carl looking up at her with wide eyes.

"Yes, Carl?"

"Did you have a dad?" He asked.

"Of course, I did." She said.

"Did he die like my dad did?" He asked, his eyebrows pulling together. "That's what my momma told me. Dad died in the hospital."

Grace bit her lip, willing her eyes not to water, "Yeah. Yeah, my daddy died."

* * *

Grace ran as the crowd behind her pushed her into the hallway. She tried to stop for a moment, not believing this was happening. She knew she had to get out of the school. She knew she had to get away. She glanced to her right and saw a hallway that was relatively empty of students. She knew everyone was trying to get to the underground shelter, but she just wanted to go home.

So she ran down the hallway that luckily had none of those things, and burst out the back doors of the school. She found herself along the edge of the forest and something in the back of her brain told her to run to the forest, to get away from her town. But she couldn't. Not without her parents.

She ignored the screams as she ran to her house. She could see people getting attack by she stayed along the edge of the forest, not wanting to go into the streets were she could hear gun shots. Her house wasn't very far from the high school, but her high heels were preventing her from running very fast and her dress kept getting tangled up around her ankles. She paused for a moment to take her shoes off, eyes peeling around to make sure none of those things were nearby.

With her shoes in her hand, she took off again and made it to her house five minutes later. She stopped in her backyard, which had no fence because her dad loved living right in front of the woods. She was instantly met with the sight of her dog, Wilhelm, who had been tied up to a pole in the backyard as he was every evening before they would let him inside for the night. He was lying on the floor, blood pooling around his neck. Tears sprung into her eyes and without thinking, she ran to where he lay and grabbed him in her arms.

His blood got all over her dress and arms, but she didn't think about it for one moment. All she could think about was him. How he had been her best friend since sixth grade. How he had been there the night she had cried when her first boyfriend broke up with her. How he had been there to comfort her when she found out her grandma died. Sadness ripped at her heart but she knew she had to go inside and check on her parents.

With tears still being shed, she left her poor dog's body and walked in the house.

Everything was silent. There wasn't the noise of the TV, or the sound of dishes being washed, or the smell of dinner cooking. The air was stuffy and there was a pungent smell. She figured her parents would be in their bedroom. Probably could hear the gun shots and had holed themselves in there to watch the news. She cautiously walked up the stairs and she could hear a slight moaning. Assuming they were hurt, she burst in the room.

"Mom?" She called out. "Dad?"

Suddenly something cold grabbed her arm and pulled her fiercely. Her eyes grew wide as she saw her mother's face. Her flesh had decayed and she desperately tried to bite at Grace.

Grace broke free of her grasps, thanking the Lord her mother was a small woman and grabbed the nearest thing she could find-a snow globe. Without thinking of anything but her life, she smashed the snow globe down on her mother's head as she tried to attack her. A few more hits later, and her mother lie dead at her feet.

Grace let out a sob as she looked around the room. Her father lie dead in the corner, his head smashed in and his stomach ripped open. She grimaced as she suddenly felt very nauseous and threw up in the corner of the room.

She had just killed her own mother.

She had just killed her own mother.

And her dad was dead.

Her dog was dead.

Everyone was dead.

She could hear the screams in the street growing louder and the gun shots seemed to dissipate. Her mind told her she had to leave now. Run in the forest and never stop running. But her heart kept her in place. She couldn't stop sobbing. Was this all a dream? Why was this happening?

Her mind eventually overpowered her heart and she left her house, glancing back at it as she stood along the edge of the forest. She prayed to God to wake up. To suddenly awake in her bed and realize it was all a nightmare. But it never happened and as the screams grew closer and the gun shots disappeared….

She ran.

She ran into the forest and never looked back.

* * *

"What about your momma?" Carl asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

"Dead." She replied. "Both of them, dead."

Carl's face melted into a frown, "I'm sorry, Grace."

"Don't worry about it, Carl." She said, trying to hide her tears.

Suddenly she felt tiny arms enclose around her waist and realized Carl was hugging her. She smiled a bit and hugged him back before releasing him. The game continued on around them. A few times the children picked her to chase them and she did so absentmindedly.

Suddenly though, a rough voice pulled her away and everyone stopped moving.

"Sophia." Ed called, walking up from the hill. Grace told the kids to keep playing as she met him a few ways off from the children.

"Do you need something, Ed?" She asked politely. The man gave her the chills with his mean gaze. Daryl was mean, but this guy was something else-dangerous almost. She saw the way he treated Carol and his daughter and she was not about to let Sophia leave with him.

"Get outta my way." He said, roughly. "I'm taking my daughter."

"Carol and Lori gave me strict orders to keep all the kids here till they came back." She said, not looking him in the eyes.

"Look girl, I don't care what they said." He snarled. "I'm taking my daughter."

He began to walk towards the children, who paid no attention to the two of them, expect Sophia. The little girl looked frightened and it broke Grace's heart.

"You can't take Sophia right now, Ed. Not until her mother comes back." She said, placing a hand on his arm to stop him.

He whirled back towards her, his eyes mad with anger. It happened so fast, she didn't even feel it at first. But suddenly, she was on the ground and the spot on her left cheek felt hot. She looked up at Ed in shock, realized he had hit her. Tears sprung into her eyes and she began to feel the pain of his hit. She stood up as she watched Ed grab Sophia and walk off but felt so powerless to do anything. She stood in that same spot until Carol and Lori came an hour later to fetch the children.

When they saw Sophia gone and Grace's red face and terrified expression, not one question was asked.

* * *

The next day, Grace decided it was time for her to take a shower. A small bruise was beginning to form on her cheek but it looked like a smudge of dirt so no one had asked any questions about it. She didn't know if she should tell anyone what happened. And who was she suppose to tell anyways? She supposed Shane was a cop but she figured that didn't apply now. They were all just people trying to survive and she doubted anyone cared enough to do anything about it anyways. It's not like they could throw Ed in jail. The most they could do was kick him out of the group and she knew Carol would follow after him. And she didn't want to condemn Carol and Sophia to that fate.

So, she kept her mouth shut.

But she stayed away from Ed. The man was scary and dangerous and she never wanted to see him again. Being at the same camp with him would be hell. But what could she do about it? Leave? And then what? Become walker food?

Grace grabbed one of the clean towels from the clothes line and decided now was a good enough time to go bathe herself. Everyone was at camp besides Daryl who was hunting so she would have the lake to herself.

She walked down the hill and tried to find a secluded area, but there wasn't much to work with. Taking a glance around to make sure no one was here, she took off Glenn's t-shirt (this time it was a striped that wasn't all that big on her) and a pair of jeans that Carol had let her borrow for the day. Once she was naked, she stepped into the water so that her whole body was covered and began to lather her hair with some shampoo.

It felt nice to wash her hair finally. It had been so long since she had taken a shower and she had to rinse, lather, and repeat a few times before most of the grime was out of her hair. Thankfully, one of the people who had run into town to get supplies before had picked up a few razors, so she shaved as much of her body as she could. She never realized how much she took smooth skin for granted until the world went to hell.

Once she was done, she quickly walked out of the water and wrapped the towel around herself. She didn't see anyone coming down the hill, so she figured it was safe to let herself dry off for a few more minutes before putting her clothes on.

She could feel the heat of the sun bouncing on her skin and for a moment, she just stood there with her eyes closed and didn't think of anything. She could the hear leaves of the trees from the forest being pushed back and forth from the wind and could hear the water from the creek nearby. Everything seemed peaceful and for a moment, she forgot she was in the middle of an apocalypse.

Suddenly, a branch snapping nearby woke her from her thoughts. For a second, she thought maybe Ed was coming down here to hit her some more. That maybe he was still angry with her and saw her walk down here alone. But when she turned around to see Daryl Dixon emerging from the woods, squirrels wrapped on a string around his body, she couldn't help but feel relieved. But then she realized she was only in a towel and dripping wet.

Grace let out a small squeal of embarrassment as her cheeks turned bright red.

Daryl, with his trained hunter ears, had heard someone in the lake when he was walking back to camp, but he looked momentarily shocked when he saw Grace standing there, dripping wet, with a towel clinging to her body. He glanced at her, taking in the full sight. He could see the outline of her plump breasts, and the shape of her hips as the towel gripped her body. The muscle in her calf looked particularly sexy as her whole body tensed up and the redness of her cheeks only added to the look. She looked fuckable alright. Her young body a welcome to his eyes as he hadn't seen a girl this bare for weeks. He felt himself overcome with lust. What he would do to this preacher's daughter... She was probably a virgin, no doubt. A cherry on the cake. He wanted to break her in. Make her scream his name.

Grace noticed the hunger in his stare, and all she could do was stand still feeling vulnerable and exposed. She held onto the towel tighter as she felt her face get hot. The water dripped down her body, sticking her hair to her face and dripping down the sides of her legs to create a little pool beneath her feet. No one had ever seen her in such provocative attire. For a moment, she felt shameful thinking of what the Lord might possibly be thinking of her being caught in such a state. But the look in Daryl's eyes and the way his biceps clenched as he gripped his hunting knife and crossbow was making her feel so hot inside. She could feel her skin burning.

Daryl quickly looked away and shook his head to rid himself of these thoughts. She was eighteen for Christ's sake. Almost ten years his junior. He thought of everything to make his naughty thoughts disappear-dead squirrels, his brother's face, Shane, the walkers, animal's blood. He felt himself calm a bit and turned to look at her again and he noticed a dark spot on her face that looked suspiciously like a bruise.

"What the hell happened to yer face?" He asked, roughly.

Grace looked away, keeping her eyes downcast, and muttered, "Nothing."

"Somethin' had to hit ya' pretty hard to get that lil' mark on yer face." He said.

"It's nothing." Grace said, with more conviction this time.

Daryl looked at her doubtful, "If ya' say so."

Grace still refused to look him in the eyes after the conversation they had in the woods the other day. She still was intimidated by him, now more so than ever. She wished he would leave so she could put her clothes back on and maybe splash her face with some water to get rid of the heat of her cheeks.

Daryl finally began walking away and she let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. He past her and began walking up the hill but then turned around once more.

"And ya' might wanna put some clothes on." He said. "Before one of them boys up there come down here and see ya' like this. Haven't seen a woman like that in a long time, girl. Who knows what they'll do."

He glanced her over once more, sending chills down her body as he walked away.

* * *

It had been a day since the group had went out to get supplies. They were meant to be back last night, so the whole camp was put on edge, even Grace. In her short amount of time here, Glenn had become something like a friend to her and she really wished he'd come back. It was scary staying in the tent alone at night and she didn't have anyone to talk to before she went to sleep, so memories of her past life came into play and she cried herself to sleep most of the times. And she missed Glenn. Amy hadn't been much fun since she was worrying about her sister, not that Grace blamed her. But she just wanted them all to come back safely so things could resume.

It was nighttime again and everyone was sitting by the campfire. Except Daryl who had made his own camp fire some distance away.

The group was expressing their worries about the group, wondering if they got caught somewhere, if someone was hurt, if they got lost, if the city had gotten worse and they couldn't escape. Or maybe they had been caught by the walkers and died. So many questions were being asked and no one had any answers. Their worrying was driving Grace crazy. Sure, she was plenty worried about the group-Glenn in particular, but that didn't mean she wanted to think about the dead. Hopefully the trip was just taking longer than expected. Maybe other survivors had ransacked the stores closest to the edge of town, so they had to walk a bit farther to find any supplies. They'd be okay, she hoped.

But right now, with everyone so frantic and worried, she was losing her mind.

She almost wanted to waltz to the city and make sure everything was okay just to shut the group up.

She pushed her blonde curls from her face and stood up.

No one noticed as she walked away from the group.

Hesitantly, she walked up to the campfire Daryl had built. When he heard her soft footsteps approaching, he looked up at her with careful eyes. She could see it in his eyes. He might not give a damn about the others, but Merle still hadn't returned as well and she could see just a small sign of worry in his hard gaze. She made eye contact for a second, before looking down. She tugged at the end of her shirt.

"Do you mind?" Grace asked. "If I sit here with you? They're driving me crazy over there."

He looked at her closely, making her cheeks turn a light pink. She was always blushing, Daryl thought. She was so easy to read. Carried her emotions on her sleeve. Even looking down, he could see every emotion play on her face. Her worry, her fear, her embarrassment, her hesitation. It drove him nuts. He wasn't use to someone like that. Growing up with Merle and his dad, they both didn't do emotions. He was taught to be hard and empty from the day he was born. So seeing someone so opened made him a little uncomfortable. But nonetheless, he nodded at her, giving her permission to sit with him. She was finally acting more obedient and more like a woman like her ought to.

He studied the bruise on her face, wondering why she refused to tell him how she got it. It had grown a little bigger since that last time he had seen her down by the lake. He quickly pushed those thoughts from his mind, not wanting a repeat of before.

"I'm sorry." She suddenly blurted out causing the man too look at her, confused.

"About insulting your hunting skills." She explained. "And not thanking you and Merle for saving me."

Daryl continued to stare at her for a moment and his silence was making her fidget.

"I checked yer trap yesterday." He finally said and Grace perked up.

"Nothin'." He said, making the girl deflate. "Set it up too close to camp. Got to go further next time if yer lookin' to catch anythin'."

Grace nodded, taking his comment to heart. She was mainly happy that he wasn't yelling at her for once. She looked at him again, noticing the way his dark blue eyes glistened in the fire's light. His normal scowl was soothed out as he stared at the embers, making him appear younger than usual. On most days, Grace would chalk him up to be around thirty. But looking at him now, he appeared to be in his mid-twenties; his stress lines gone and his eyes relaxed.

"Are ya' gonna tell me how ya' got that bruise on yer face?" He suddenly asked. He didn't particularly care that she was hurt, but he was curious.

She looked up at him for a moment, before her eyes shifted over to where Ed sat before she quickly glanced down at her lap again.

Daryl's eyebrows pulled together, "Did Ed touch ya'?"

Grace still refused to look up at him with those big blues eyes, but her silence answered his question.

He felt unexplainable anger. He figured Ed would beat on his wife. He could hear it sometimes; their tent was rather close to his. But something about the image of Ed placing his hands on something delicate and small like Grace pissed him off. Daryl was a mean person, alright. He got that from Merle. But he would never put his hands on a woman. Ever.

"Fuckin' dick." He muttered under his breath.

Someone like Grace needed protection.

Grace's eyes widened a bit at Daryl's cursing. She assumed he didn't agree with the way Ed dealt with his anger issues. Daryl might be a harsh person, but she had a feeling underneath his exterior, there was a person with some morals. He might not be entirely good, but for some reason she felt deep down there might be some good in him.

"Are you worried about Merle?" She suddenly said, eager to change the subject.

Daryl glanced at her for a moment, but didn't say anything as he poked the fire with a stick.

She let out a tiny sigh and she knew that he was.

"Listen Daryl." She said lightly. He didn't look at her but she knew he was listening, "Merle is a tough guy. I'm sure they've just run into a rough spot and they're making their way back now. Besides, Glenn's with him. He'll keep everyone safe."

"That lil' Asian boy?" He said, "He couldn't even help if he tried. Ain't got the balls for that."

"He's a firecracker, that one." She joked, but then added seriously, "Everyone always underestimates him, but I know he has it in him. He's smart and tougher than he looks."

The doubtful and bewildered look on Daryl Dixon's face was enough to make her smile.

* * *

**Author's Note: So this is my last update for the week! I'm really busy this weekend because of dance and school, so I won't be able to write more until next week. I hope you enjoy this chapter! I know Grace seems more attached to Glenn, but it's only because she hasn't had much interaction with Daryl. I have a lot of things planned but of course, Daryl is so closed off so it will take a while before the build some sort of relationship with each other. But I hope you guys keep reading and follow my story! I'll try my best to take your opinions into consideration so don't forget to leave a review! Thanks for reading!**

**Peperina: **Glenn is an amazing character! He is my second favorite, right after Daryl haha. I wasn't going to put Merle in this chapter, but I decided to write a little scene for you, so I hope you enjoyed it (: Thanks for the reviews and I hope you continue to enjoy the chapters!

**Emberka-2012: **Yeah, squirrels are probably one of the animals that can easily outrun the walkers because they can climb trees easily and everything. But Grace is a bit naive when it comes to this sort of thing and stupid to try to mention it to Daryl haha. Thanks for the review! Hope you enjoy this chapter as well (:

**Thanks to everyone who reads and please don't forgot to leave a review. Your opinions do mean a lot to me and gives me motivation to keep writing! (:**


	4. Eyes Open

**Safe and Sound**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Eyes Open**

* * *

The next morning Grace was helping Carol hang up some wet clothes on the clothes line with the sound of sirens could be heard echoing through the mountains. For a moment, she thought maybe it was a rescue squad. That the group in the city came across them and sent them here to get the rest of the group. She could feel hope bubbling in her heart as both her and Carol stopped moving and walked to where everyone else, excluding Daryl, was standing.

"Talk to me, Dale." Shane said.

Dale was standing on the top of the RV, binoculars in his hand. He was quiet for a moment.

"Well, I'll be damned." He muttered.

"What is it?" Amy asked.

"Stolen car is my guess." He said.

Suddenly, a red Dodge Challenger pulled into the campsite. The alarm was so loud; Grace covered her hands with her ears. It wasn't a rescue group all right, but seeing Glenn get out of the car brought immense relief to her. On impulse, Grace darted forward and launched herself on Glenn, hugging him tightly. His face turned a light pink at the contact but a happy smile was present of both of their faces.

"Shut that thing off!" Shane yelled at Glenn.

"I don't know how!" Glenn yelled back over the blaring noise as Grace let go of the boy. Amy ran to Glenn, demanding to know what happened to others, particularly Andrea.

"Pop the hood." Shane said.

Between Amy yelling at him and Shane's commands, Glenn appeared flustered. Grace giggled at the look on his face and took it upon herself to open the hood for Shane while Amy interrogated Glenn. Shane quickly took care of the noise and then proceeded to yell at Glenn for being his "stupid" move. Dale stood up for the boy but quickly backed down when Shane turned his intense gaze on him. Grace could care less about any of that, she was just happy to have Glenn back.

Glenn told the group about what had happened in Atlanta and everyone was relieved to hear the rest of the group was on their way back. Another car pulled up shortly after, a large van. Andrea's face appeared from behind the van and Amy quickly pulled her in a tight hug, expressing her concerns. Morales also appeared after Andrea and his family looked very happy to have him back in their arms.

"How did you guys manage to get out anyways?" Shane asked.

"The new guy." Glenn said, happily.

"Yo', helicopter boy." Morales called out. "Get over here and meet the group."

A middle-age man stepped out of the driver's side of the van. He was in a cop's uniform. He looked a bit thin and worn but Grace was happy to see another living face. He looked around the group, skimming over their faces. When he saw Shane's, emotion popped into his eyes, recognition. He stepped back for a second, and suddenly he caught sight of Carl. Grace turned to look at Carl who slowly turned his head to look at the new guy. The same emotion appeared in the boy's eyes and he ran towards the new guy, full speed.

Grace's eyes began to tear up as she realized this was Carl's dad. Him, Lori and Carl were locked in a hug, all three looking so relieved and so full of hope. It ate away at her heart, seeing them so happy. So she teared up, feeling so grateful that Carl had his dad back. She silently thanked her Lord for the blessing he had bestowed on the family. Glenn, noticing her expression, grasped her hand lightly in his, giving it a squeeze. She returned it with a smile.

She knew from the moment on, that no matter what happened, she would never lose hope. God worked in mysterious ways, she knew that. And she knew that his grace, his love would never die out. It had been a long time since she had prayed, or even thought about God, but witnessing this reunion, there was no way she could ever deny his presence.

Glenn let go of her hand and ran back to the van. She watched him confused but than realization hit her as he walked back with a large bag in his hand. He gave the bag to her, a big smile present of his face. She took it gratefully and pulled the boy in another hug.

"I managed to grab some clothes I thought would fit you." He said. "Oh! And I found some shoes as well."

"Let's bring this back to our tent and I'll take a look." She said and he walked with her back to the tent.

While he had been gone, she had cleaned all over his dirty clothes and folded them nicely on his side of the tent. She also washed his sleeping bag and set that up nicely as well. He looked a bit surprised when he entered the tent and noticed the neatness. He gave her a quick smile and she just shrugged.

"Least I could do." She said.

She emptied the bag of clothes on her side of the tent. The first thing she noticed was a big pair of boots. They were a dark brown, and chunky. They'd be incredibly useful. She slipped them on quickly. They were a little big but she tightened the laces to keep the secure. They went up to the middle of her calf. She looked at the rest of the clothes. There were about three pairs of jean shorts, white and two blue ones. He had also grabbed her a few tank-tops, she particularly like a blue and white stripped one, and a few t-shirts. She noticed some jackets in the pile as well.

"We don't know how long this will last." Glenn explained. "And it might get cold out."

Grace smiled at his consideration and folded all the clothes nicely on her side of the tent.

"I don't know what I can do to thank you." Grace said, trying to think of something she can do for him in return.

"Don't worry about it, Grace." He said.

"No, Glenn." She replied. "You risked your life for this. I'll make it up to you, somehow."

Glenn just shrugged. He really didn't mind getting Grace some clothes. The poor girl, who had become something of a sister to him, didn't even have shoes and all she had to wear was that ratty dress. And he had managed to make it out of the city safe. He didn't feel she was in debt to him. Just having her here as a companion for him was all he needed.

Grace suddenly looked confused and Glenn glanced at her.

"Where's Merle?" She asked, realizing he hadn't been a part of the group that had came back.

Glenn looked down at his lap.

"Did he get hurt?" She asked, shocked.

"Not really." He said.

"Dead?"

"I don't think so."

"Glenn, what happened to Merle?" She asked, thinking about Daryl. Merle was all that man had.

"Look, Merle...he attacked T-dog. They got in some stupid argument about race and he started beating on him. Rick-he, uh, handcuffed him to a bar on the roof to keep him contained. He gave T-dog the key to the handcuffs when we went to find a way out of the store. When we were overrun by the walkers, T-dog panicked and dropped the key down the drain." Glenn said. "Merle got left, handcuffed, on the roof."

"He's still alive?!" Grace asked.

"As far as we know." He said. "T-dog chained the door to the roof so those things couldn't get inside. But who knows."

"Oh gosh." She said. "Who's going to tell Daryl? That is his brother after all. He's going to be so mad."

"I don't know." Glenn said, "I don't know."

* * *

It was the next day and Daryl had never returned to camp from his hunting trip. Grace was a bit worried and wondered why no one else had even mentioned him besides their little conversation last night about who would tell him the bad news about Merle.

Grace didn't particularly like Merle. He was rude, perverted, racist and just a little creepy. But she couldn't believe what they had done to him. Tied him up to some roof of a building as though he was a dog who had peed on the carpet. And then to leave him up there. Merle might be mean-but she knew that he had to be provoked or he wouldn't attack. He might say some cruel things, but she knew that if you ignored him, he would calm down soon enough. So she couldn't help but feel sad about what happened to him. No one deserved that to be left like that. Not to die easy and fast. Merle was a rude man, but she couldn't help but like the spirit he had inside him, even if he had it for all the wrong reasons.

Grace was tempted to go look for Daryl. But she had no idea what direction he had run off to and she figured she would just get lost looking for him. Besides, if she did find him she knew he would ask if the group had returned and she didn't have the heart to tell him what happened to his brother. Especially when she knew he had been worrying about him the night before. And she dreaded the moment he would find out.

Suddenly the screams of the children made her jump in surprise. Rick Grimes, the new cop that arrived yesterday, Lori, Carol, Glenn, Shane, T-Dog, and Morales all jumped up and began running towards the direction of the screams. Grace followed close behind.

"Carl!" Lori yelled. "Carl!"

Grace was definitely not ready for the sight they stumbled upon. One of the walkers was up on the hill, feasting on a dead deer. It's skin was gray and decaying, its hair stringy and falling off. He was wearing what looked like a business suit. For some reason, that saddened her. This poor guy had probably been at work when the attacked happened. She wondered who he was before this all happened. What his name was, if he was married, if he had kids.

The walker noticed them behind him and stood up, snarling. Shane took the first hit. And then Glenn brought down his weapon on the poor creature. Soon all the men were bashing the walker with their weapons. It fell to the floor as they smacked him and the sight broke Grace's heart. Maybe they didn't have to kill him. Maybe they could tie him up somewhere he couldn't escape. They had no idea if a cure was being made right now and maybe it was. Maybe this man could be saved.

Without thinking, she threw herself in front of the thing lying on the floor.

"What are you doing?" Shane yelled at her. "Get out of the way!"

"Stop! Please, stop hitting him!" She yelled back in response. "We don't have to kill him!"

The walker was struggling behind her, obviously hurt.

"I'm not going to tell you again, Grace." Shane said. "Get out of the way."

"Please!" She begged. "We can tie him up, handcuff him! Anything! He can be cured. We can't kill him. We can't."

Glenn, aware of the frustration and anger of the men around him, pushed Grace away from the thing. The walker was getting too close to her for his comfort and he didn't want her hurt. With the new opening, Dale slammed down his axe, cutting the head off instantly.

Grace let out a little gasp as the head rolled to a stop by her leg. Tears sprung into her eyes as she looked at his face. Despite the blood and the rotting flesh, he still looked like a person.

"This is the first one we've had up here." Dale said. "They never come this far up the mountain."

"They're runnin' out of food in the city." Jim said. "That's all."

A twig snapped nearby and the group could hear footsteps getting closer. Shane raised his gun, getting ready in case another one of the walkers decided to show up because of the noise. When Daryl's face appeared through the leaves and he walked out from behind a boulder, he dropped his gun.

Grace could feel the tension from the group.

"Son of a bitch!" Daryl said, angrily. "That was my deer."

He walked past and the deer and to the body of the dead walker.

"Look at it, all nawed up." He said, pissed. Then he started kicking the dead body.

"By this filthy, disease-bearing, motherless poxy bastard!"

"Listen son, that's not helping." Dale said, softly.

"What do ya' know 'bout it, old man." Daryl screamed, getting in Dale's face. "Why don't ya' take that stupid hat and go back to _On Golden Pond_?"

Daryl walked back over the deer and began pulling the arrows out of its dead body, "I've been tracking this deer for miles. Gonna' drag it back to camp and cook us up some venison. Whadda' think we can cut around this chewed up part righ' here?"

"I would not risk that." Shane said, holding his gun behind his head.

"Damn shame." Daryl muttered. "Still got sum squirrel. 'Bout a dozen or so. That'll have ta' do."

As soon as Daryl finished his statement, the dead walker's head came back to life, biting at the air around it. Amy looked absolutely disgusted and walked away with Andrea. Grace, who was still on the floor besides the head, covered her mouth with her hands to keep her scream quiet.

"What the hell, people?" Daryl exclaimed, quickly sending an arrow into it's eyes. "It's gotta' be the brains. Don't ya'll no nothing?"

Grace let out a small gasp as the arrow impaled it's eye. Daryl noticed her on the ground and looked confused for a second.

"What the hell ya' doing down there?" He asked harshly. "Lookin' ta be killed?"

He grabbed her by the upper arm and hoisted her up. She stood on shaky legs looking pale and Daryl was worried she would puke all over him. He quickly walked away from her and began yelling to Merle to get his ass out to the campfire to help him gut the squirrels. Merle, of course, never came out so Daryl called for him again.

Shane took after him, telling him he had to talk to him. Glenn strung his arm around the shaken Grace and helped her walk back to camp. The whole group was standing around the pair.

"It's about Merle." Shane said. "There was a problem in Atlanta."

"He dead?" Daryl asked, his voice quieter.

Grace bit her lip, almost not wanting to hear what was coming next.

"Not sure."

"He either is or he ain't." Daryl snarled.

"There's no easy way to say this, so I'll just say it." Rick said, coming up behind Shane.

"Who are you?" Daryl asked, his defenses up.

"Rick Grimes."

"Rick Grimes." Daryl bit out. "Ya' got sumthing ya' wanna' to tell me?"

"Your brother was a danger to us all." Rick said. "So I handcuffed him to a roof to a piece of metal. He's still there."

Grace felt her body tense as the news was finally blurted out. Glenn tightened his hold on her.

Daryl turned away from him and wiped at his eyes. Grace couldn't tell if he was wiping off sweat or tears, and she felt her stomach drop.

"Hold on." He muttered. "Let me process this. Ya' say ya' handcuffed my brother to a roof? And ya' left him there?!"

"Yeah." Rick said, looking down.

Daryl was pissed. He huffed for a moment before throwing the string of squirrels at Rick, who ducked out of the way, and began to barrel towards him. Shane stepped in his path and knocked him to the ground. He pulled his hunting knife from his pants and got up quickly, swinging it at Rick. Rick, obviously trained, grabbed his arm and shoved it behind his back. Shane grabbed his other arm and grabbed him in a choke whole.

"Best let me go." He yelled.

Grace could see Daryl's face turning red as he tried to breath.

"Chockholdins' illegal." He muttered, out of breath.

"File a complaint." Shane snapped.

Rick bent down to talk to Daryl as his face grew more and more red. Grace suddenly felt scared, not wanting him to pass out.

"Shane, stop!" She screamed, pushing her way forward. Everyone looked at her in surprise, but Shane released him from his grasp. Daryl stayed on the floor for awhile, trying to catch his breath.

"What I did was not on a whim." Rick said. "Your brother does not play well with others."

"So you just tie him up like some sort of animal?" Grace exclaimed, surprising the group once again, "And then leave him? That's no way to treat a human being. Merle might be dangerous, but he does not deserve to die like that."

"Look, it was my fault." T-dog said, coming to Rick's defense. "I had the key. I dropped it."

"And ya' couldn't pick it up." Daryl snapped, standing up.

"I dropped it, down a drain."

"If that's suppose to make me feel betta, it don't." Daryl said, walking away.

"Maybe this will." T-dog said. "I chained the door to the roof so the geeks couldn't get at him with a padlock."

"That has to count for something." Rick said.

For a moment, it seemed as through Daryl was going to cry as his face scrunched up and he wiped at his eyes. The sight tugged at Grace's heart.

"To hell with all ya'll." He said, half-heartily. "Just tell me where he is. So I can goes get him."

"He'll show you." Lori said, from her place by the RV. "Isn't that right?"

Rick glanced down and seemed conflicted for a moment, "I'm going back."

Daryl walked away, picking up the squirrels from the ground and walking to his tent. The group dispersed, everyone going off to do something else as the scene was over. Grace bit her lip, pausing for a moment, before following Daryl. Glenn looked at her confused as she passed him, but she refused to meet his gaze.

She stood outside his tent for a moment, wondering if she should just leave. She knew he was probably going through hell right now. But she felt for him. She wanted to say something, try to comfort him if only a little.

"Daryl?" She called out lightly.

She heard some things shifted around before he answered.

"What the hell do ya' want?" He called out. "Can't you people just leave me alone?"

"I just wanted to talk to you for a second." She said, fiddling with the pink tank-top she had on that Glenn had brought back for her.

When he didn't answer, she hesitantly opened his tent and stepped inside cautiously. Daryl was sitting in the corner holding what looked like one of Merle's shirts in his hand. She placed her hand on his shoulder but he flinched from her touch so she quickly let it drop to her side.

"Look, what they did wasn't right." She said, "But Merle's a strong man. He can hold his own. I bet he's sitting on that roof right now, cussing us all out. He'll be just fine until you guys go get him. I don't doubt that."

Daryl still didn't say anything and for a moment, the tent was silent.

"I know what you're going through." She said softly. "When my town was hit, I was at my dance. Everything was chaotic and I just wanted to make sure my parents were okay. So I ran all the way home, risking death just to make sure they were okay. But they weren't. I found them. My dad was dead by time I got home and my mom…she-she tried to attack me. I had to kill her. My own mother. The woman who cared for me day to day, my bestfriend."

Grace could feel tears start to form in her eyes, "But Merle isn't like my parents. He's strong. He'll be okay."

She saw some of the tension leave his body as his shoulders slumped forward but he remained quiet. Feeling as though she had helped if only a little, she rubbed his shoulder once more before turning to leave the tent. Just as she was about to step out of the tent, his voice stopped her.

"Merle, he, uh, he taugh' me everythin' I know. My dad, well, he wasn't around much. Merle, that bastard definitely ain't no lovin' boy, but he cared for me more than my asshole dad ever did." He said, drawing her attention. He didn't know why he was telling this girl about his past life, but for some reason, they words just seemed to slip from his mouth.

"Merle is a tough son of a bitch." He said. "Nothin' can kill that dick. Not even me. Only Merle can kill Merle. But bein' chained up like that, he's not as strong as he can be. We might not get along well, but that bastard is still my brother."

"You'll find him." She said. "And you'll bring him back. He might not want to come back after what they did to him, but you bring him back. It's safer here than anywhere in that city. And Merle, he might be a little rough, but he's still one of God's children and he deserves to be protected just like the rest of us."

"Ya' really are a preacher's daughter, ain't cha'?" He muttered under his breath. "But hey, don't ya' be tellin' people shit. I don't want no one to look at me as though I'm some lovey-dovey, touchy feely pussy, like ya'. I'm not. Dixon's are tough bastards. So ya' best keep your mouth shut."

Grace couldn't help but smile as Daryl turned back to his normal self.

"Sure thing, Daryl." She said, before turning around to leave the tent again.

"Grace." Daryl's voice stopped her again. She turned back around to see him looking at her this time.

"Yeah?" She asked.

He tossed her the cut up, flannel shirt that he was holding in hishands. She caught it and glanced at him confused.

"It's Merle's." He said. "Fer some reason, that son of a bitch liked ya'. Can't tell ya' why, but he did. Now leave me the hell alone, girl."

Grace held onto the shirt tightly and gave him a small smile before leaving the tent.

* * *

A few hours later, Daryl was sitting by the fire cleaning off his arrows as they prepared for the trip. He thought back to Grace, the preacher's daughter with the innocent smile. She had stood up for his brother to the group, which had surprised him greatly. He remembered Merle mentioning something about her-liked her, actually liked her for some reason or another. Ever since they joined this group, they had been treated like outcast. He knew they were close to being friendly, but they pulled their weight for the group, hunting and getting food for everyone. So it pissed him off the way they treated his brother in Atlanta.

His thoughts floated back to Grace. She had come talk to him in the tent briefly. He remembered the shock he felt when he heard her say she killed her mother. The girl was stronger than he thought she was. She was a survivor, he decided, just like him and his brother. Maybe that's why Merle liked her.

And Daryl wouldn't speak a word of this to anyone, but he did feel a little better after her talk with him. Him and Merle might not have the best relationship, but he was his brother and all he had left in this world. Merle had taught him everything he needed to know-stepped in and took their father's place who didn't give a rats ass about what happened to them. Merle wasn't loving, not at all. But Daryl still cared for him.

"Why-Why would you risk your life for a douche-bag like Merle Dixon?" Shane asked, as him and Rick walked over by Daryl.

"Hey! Choose your words more carefully." Daryl said, standing up.

"Oh I did." Shane said. "Douche-bag is what I meant. Merle Dixon, guy wouldn't give you a glass of water even if you were dying of thirst."

"What he would or wouldn't do, don't matter to me." Rick said. "I can't let a man die of thirst, thirst and exposure. We left him like an animal caught in a trap. That's no way for anything to die, let alone a human being."

"So you and Daryl?" Lori said. "That's your big plan."

Rick turned towards Glenn, looking at him with pleading eyes. Grace stepped in front of Glenn, glaring at Rick. She did not want Glenn to go into the city again. They barely got out the first time and she didn't want him to risk his life again.

"No." She said, crossing her arms. "Glenn is not going on this trip."

"What are you guys together now?" Shane asked from behind Rick.

Both Glenn and Grace turned a bright red.

"No!" She exclaimed. "But I'm not letting him risk his life again."

"You know the way. You've been there back and forth, in and out. You said so yourself. I know its not fair for me to ask. I know that. But I would feel a lot better with you by my side. And I know she would too." Rick said, gesturing to his wife.

"Don't try to guilt him into this!" Grace said.

"It's his decision, Grace." Rick said calmly.

Grace turned around and looked at Glenn, pleading to him with her eyes not to go. He looked conflicted for a moment. Not sure which side to pick.

"That's just great, you're going to risk three men." Shane said.

"If Glenn goes, I go too." Grace said, not eager to sit at camp listening to everyone worry about the group again.

"No way." Shane said. "No way in hell. You can't handle yourself. And after the stunt you pulled today with that walker."

"I can handle myself just fine." She said, stubbornly. "I know how to use a knife and I can handle a gun. I grew up with this stuff."

"No." Daryl piped up, surprising everyone. "Yer not goin'"

She might not be as weak as he originally thought, but he knew how dangerous the city was and he knew she wouldn't be able to handle herself. And he didn't want to have to keep her and his ass safe while he was out there.

"And why not?" She snapped.

"I said no and I meant it." He said harshly.

She pouted her lips and glared at nothing in particular as she walked away angrily. Glenn followed her. Daryl could care less that she was upset. He was just satisfied that she was not going with them.

"I'm going too." T-dog said from behind him.

Daryl grimaced, "My day just keeps getting better."

He left to go get in the van, eager to get going. Glenn was already sitting in the driver seat with the door open and Grace leaning against it. He hopped into the back of the open van as he waited for Rick and T-dog to get inside so they could go get Merle back.

"Glenn, I really don't want you going." He heard Grace say.

"I'll be fine, Grace." The Asian boy said. "I've done this plenty of times. I'll be back before you know it."

"Promise me you'll stay safe." She pleaded.

"I will, Grace. Don't worry." He replied and she leaned over and gave the boy a kiss on the cheek.

Daryl rolled his eyes at their little moment.

"You too, Daryl." Grace said and he glanced over at her. "Promise me you'll stay safe."

"Don't ya' be startin' that shit with me, girl." He said, looking impatiently and Rick and Shane.

"Just promise me, Daryl." She said. "Please."

Daryl rolled his eyes again but nonetheless responded, "Fine, fine. I'll promise if ya' shut up."

She smiled lightly before walking off, probably to go talk with Amy or someone. He couldn't help but be baffled by the girl. He couldn't understand why she was so emotional. It drove him nuts.

He looked down at the Asian who was watching her walk away.

"Is she ya' girlfrien' or sumthing, chink?" He asked.

Glenn's face turned red, "No! Grace…Grace is like a sister to me."

For some reason, that little comment lightened Daryl's mood.

* * *

**Author's Note: I know some of you are probably yelling at Grace for being stupid enough to try to protect one of the walkers, haha. But as I said before, she's definitely naive. She was raised to believe that everything is God's creature and to only kill if necessary. You'll definitely see her grow as the story continues and she continues to adapt to the new world. ANYWAYS, I managed to find some time to write last night so I decided to upload this new chapter earlier than I figured I would. I want to finish up the first season so we can get a move on with the plot. The next chapter is currently being written and there should be two more chapters that will finish up season 1 of the show's plotline. I will then move on to season 2. There will be a lot more Daryl-Grace interaction in the next few chapters so I hope you guys continue to stay patient. I don't want to make Daryl out of character so it will take a some time to build up their relationship as you all know he isn't very emotional haha. I hope you guy's enjoyed this chapter. I want to thank my loyal followers who continue to review and read my story. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH! It definitely means a lot (:**

**lme13:** I'm really glad you've enjoyed the story so far! And I hope you continue to enjoy it! And don't worry, Grace will definitely grow as the story continues. I'm not really a fan of weak girl characters, but based of her previous life, she must start out as a naive girl who will have to learn how to survive in the new world. The next chapter will definitely bring out a different side of her, so stay in tune for that! Thank you for the review (:

**Peperina: **I really appreciate your support (: And Merle may or may not pop up in future chapters ;) And I'm glad you found him thinking about Shane to calm himself down funny, because I was laughing to myself when writing that haha. There were be a lot more interaction between the two in the next coming chapters, so definitely keep watch for the updates! Thanks for reviewing, as always! (:

**Emberka-2012: **I'm glad you enjoyed Merle's scene! And I agree! Daryl might say rude things but he would never hit a girl. Sure, he'll get in quarrels with his fellow men, but I don't think he would ever put his hands on a girl, besides the walker girls haha. Thanks for your review(: I appreciate it!

**SPEEDIE22: **Thanks for the reviews! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well! (:

**Jen Drake: **I'm really happy that you've enjoyed the story so far. Hope you like this update as well! Thanks for reviewing (:

**Leyshla Gisel: **Haha, thank you so much! Reviews like this always inspire me to keep writing more (:

**Once again, thank you to all who read and review! Appreciate it so much! Next chapter is almost finished and will probably be uploaded in a day or so. Let me know what you think of this chapter in a review! (:**


	5. For You

**Emberka-2012: **She is incredibly naive and she is still clinging onto the hope that things might go back to the way they use to be. That the government is getting things under control and making a cure to the "disease". But as the story goes on, she'll start to grow up a little haha. Thanks for the review (:

**Leyshla Gisel: **I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. And I definitely agree, Grace was raised as any Christian to cherish life and try to follow God's path. But she'll definitely grow up some as the plot progresses. Thanks for the review (: Hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

**halfemptyflask: **And here you go! haha, hope you enjoy! (:

**EdibethKain: **Thanks for the review! Hope you enjoy this chapter as well! (:

**TeddyxSkeleton: **haha Shane and dead squirrels (; Hope you like this new chapter!

* * *

**Safe and Sound**

* * *

**Chapter 5: For you**

* * *

Grace sat next to the quarry, washing clothes like the rest of the women were doing. Shane and Carl were splashing about in the water a few ways off and Ed was sitting behind him. His presence but Grace on edge. Her bruise was still present on her face. Glenn had commented on it but she just told him she had slipped and hit her face on a branch while walking down the hill. He had believed her little lie.

"Can someone explain to be how the women ended up doing all the heavy weight day-to-day work?" Jacqui asked.

"The world ended." Amy said lightly, "Didn't you get the memo?"

Grace noticed the way Carol glanced back at Ed for a moment, "It's just the way it is."

The women went back to work, scrubbing away the clothes. Grace could feel some sweat build up on the edge of her hairline as the sun beat down on her back. For the first time in her life, she had tan lines on her pale, ivory skin. Glenn had stuck to his word and brought back a whole bag filled with clothes for her. She was currently wearing a pair of white, jean, shorts and a striped blue and white tank-top. She was a little surprised at the things Glenn had picked out-more fashionable then she was expecting. But regardless, she was incredibly grateful for anything Glenn had managed to grab for her.

"I do miss my Maytag." Carol piped up from next to Amy.

"I miss my coffeemaker, with that dual-drip filter and built-in grinder, honey." Jacqui said, closing her eyes as she thought of it.

Grace giggled at her expression.

"I miss my Benz." Andrea said. "My sat-nav."

"My computer." Amy sighed. "Texting."

"I miss my dog." Grace said, biting her lip. "and my .44 Magnum revolver."

All the women turned to look at her in shock.

"Aren't you a preacher's daughter?" Jacqui joked. "What's a Christian like you doing with a gun?"

Grace shrugged, "My dad was very protective. He always wanted me to be able to take care of myself in case I got stuck in a bad situation in the city or something. So he taught me how to use a gun."

"I miss my vibrator." Andrea said, suddenly.

Grace's face turned bright red at the mention of a sex toy. The other women caught the expression on her face and laughed to themselves. She was definitely a preacher's daughter.

Carol glanced back at Ed for a second, "Me too."

This sent the women over edge, even Grace and they all began laughing loudly.

"What's so funny?" Ed asked, walking over the group.

Grace's stomach dropped.

"Just swapping war stories, Ed." Andrea said, still laughing lightly.

Ed didn't reply but he walked closer to the group, smoking his cigarette. The smoke stung Grace's eyes and she coughed a little bit. Some people in her town smoke cigars, but she wasn't use to the smoke. The smell, however, reminded her of Merle and her thoughts instantly went to the group in Atlanta. She hoped that they were safe but she was worried about Glenn…and Daryl. She knew the man was going through hell with the situation of his brother and she prayed that they found Merle just fine.

"Got a problem, Ed?" Andrea asked, looking up at the man who paced behind them.

"None that concerns you." He said, "You folks ought to work. This ain't no comedy club."

Andrea stopped working from besides her, glancing up at Ed. Grace wanted to tell her to just go back to working and leave the man alone. She didn't want Andrea to be hit or hurt like she had been. But Ed was standing too close to them. She couldn't warn her.

"I'll tell you what." Andrea said, standing up. "You don't like the way your laundry's done, you are welcomed to pitch in and do it yourself."

She tossed the soaking wet pair of jeans at Ed. Grace squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the blow. He tossed them back at her, harder.

"Ain't my job, missy." He said.

"Andrea, don't." Amy said, coming up behind her.

"What is your job, Ed?" Andrea snapped. "Sitting on your ass, smoking cigarettes?"

"It sure ain't listening to some uppity, smart mouthed, bitch." He said. "Tell ya' what."

He looked down at Carol, "Come on, let's go."

Carol obediently got up.

"I don't think she has to go anywhere with you, Ed." Andrea said, coming to Carol's defense. Grace stood up from her spot on the floor.

"Well, I say it's none ya' business." Ed said. "Come on now, you heard me."

Andrea turned around and placed a hand on Carol's shoulder who pleaded with her to just let it be. Grace took Andrea's side. She was fed up with the way the men seemed to be able to do whatever they wanted without consequence. It was wrong to hit anyone. She let out a little pray to the Lord before standing in front of Carol alongside Andrea.

"Hey, don't think I won't knock you on your ass." Ed said. "Just 'cause you're some college educated cooze."

"Now you come along now, or you're going to regret it later." He said, addressing Carol.

"Just so she can show up with fresh bruises later, Ed." Jacqui said, harshly. "Yeah we've seen them."

Ed let out a cold laugh that sent chills down Grace's spine and commanded Carol to leave with him again.

"You guys don't keep priding the bull here." He said. "Now I am done, okay."

"Come on." He said, pulling Carol's arm.

"No." Andrea said, grabbing Carol's other arm. Grace grabbed onto Carol's shoulder, not wanted to leave with Ed. She knew he would just take her off to beat her. Ed struggled to get Carol away from the women, sending a gab Grace's way to get her to let go. He nailed her in the jaw and she fell to the floor before he smacked Carol across the face. The woman instantly began to push Ed away and Shane appeared out of nowhere, throwing Ed to the ground.

He beat on him as Carol cried, holding her cheek. Amy helped Grace stand up, asking her if she was okay. She nodded, staying quiet as she held her jaw, rubbing it as it grew red. Shane continued to beat Ed to a pulp, only leaving him when Andrea yelled at him to stop. He whispered a warning to him before walking away.

* * *

Grace had a bruise on the left side of her jaw, one that matched the bruise on her left cheek. Carol had apologized to her profusely, but Grace knew it was not her fault. Sometimes there was just so much evil and sin in a person that they derailed from the path of God. She wished Ed could be rehabilitated. But she knew God would take care of him. It wasn't her place to judge, it was His.

Ed had been beat up so bad from Shane that he could hardly talk and he mostly sat in his tent, away from everyone. Grace couldn't help but be relieved that she wouldn't have to see him or be around him.

More crazy had been going on around the camp with Jim as well. All day today, he had been digging holes on the upper field. They looked suspiciously like graves and the thought of that sent chills down Grace's body. They had talked to him, but he had thrown a fit-gone into a rage. They managed to settle him down, convince him to drink some water and rest. When he was asked about why he was digging, he said he couldn't remember. Some figured the heat had gotten to him. But Grace couldn't help but be on edge ever since the incident.

It was the evening now, and everyone was sitting around eating. Andrea and Amy had gone fishing together this morning and had brought back plenty of fish for the group to eat. It wasn't the best meal, but Grace thought it was a lot better than eating squirrels.

"Can you pass the fish?" Carl asked her.

She handed him the plate with some of the fish on it and watched at he took one, sliding it on his plate. Grace suddenly realized how long it had been since she said grace before eating dinner. She knew not everyone at camp was religious, but she hesitantly, she cleared her through, gaining some attention.

"I know we're not all religious, but do you mind if I say grace and give thanks before we eat?" She asked, softly. "It's been so long since I've done so."

The group looked around at each other, debating if it was okay.

"I think it would be nice." Lori said. "For the children, as well."

Shane nodded in agreement with Lori, "Go ahead, Grace."

She nodded her thanks and held out her hand to Carl and Dale who were sitting next to her. Slowly, everyone in the group linked hands and closed their eyes.

"I know it's been awhile since I've expressed my love, God. But my devotion has never been stronger. I pray that you continue to keep our group safe. Please bring back Glenn, Rick, T-dog, Daryl, and Merle home safely. I pray that you watch over the children of this camp and keep their souls' pure in these dark days. And I pray that you bright light to this world, salvation. We thank you for the food you have provided us, the safe shelter of the camp, and the people you have saved here. Amen."

"Amen." The religious people in the group echoed and everyone opened their eyes. Carol had tears forming in her eyes and Lori gave her a small smile.

"Now, we eat!" Shane exclaimed, digging into his fish. "Man this is good."

Everyone laughed as the mood lightened and began digging into their food.

Morales asked Dale about his watch and he gave the story of its origin. Grace thought it was nice that he had something to cherish. She tugged at the necklace on her chest. It was a simple, gold cross that her mother had got her for her eighteenth birthday. She had been taking care of it as Dale had been taking care of his watch.

"I like what, uh, a father said to son when he gives him a watch that had been handed down through generations. He said 'I give you the mausoleum of all hope and desire, which will fit your individual needs no better than it did mine or my father's before me, I give it to you not that you may remember time, but that you may forget it for a moment now and then and not spend all of your breath trying to conquer it." Dale said.

"You're so weird." Amy said, causing the group to laugh.

"It's not me." Dale said, laughing at well. "It's-"

"William Faulkner." Grace interrupted, recognizing the quote.

"Looks like we got a smarty-pants over here." Shane joke.

Grace blushed, "Honors English. Studied him my sophomore year."

The group went back to eating and Amy stood up, setting her plate down.

"Where are you going?" Andrea asked, looking up at her.

"I have to pee." Amy whispered. "Geez, you try to be discrete around here."

This sent the group in another set of giggles.

"We're out of toilet paper?" Amy yelled from her spot next to the RV. Suddenly, a walker appeared from behind it, grabbing her arm and snapping down on it. Amy let out a gut-wrenching scream and she pulled her arm away, falling to the floor.

Grace looked around in fright as everyone started to scream as walkers suddenly piled into the camp. This was bad, she thought, real bad. She grasped her necklace and whispered a pray under breath quickly.

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."

The small prayer gave Grace an ounce of courage. Glancing behind her, she caught sight of Daryl's tent. She knew he kept his hunting knifes and other weapon in there so she quickly ran to it, relieved none of the walkers had made it there yet. She grabbed one of the knives stashed away in the corner of the tent and went back outside to help defend the group.

Shane was shooting at the walkers but there were too many for him to take on by himself. Suddenly, something cold grabbed at her hair pulling her back. She almost lost her footing but regained her balances and ripped her hair from its grasp. Turning around, one of the walkers tried to grab her, thrashing around, trying to bite her.

"I'm sorry." She muttered, before thrusting the knife through its eye. Yellowish green blood oozed from the wound and the walker fell backwards. Knowing it was dead, she yanked the knife from its eye and moved on.

She noticed Carol carrying Sophia, running from the walkers. One tried to grasp onto her and Carol struggled to throw it off. Grace ran to the pair quickly. She kicked the walker, who was thankfully small, in the legs. She was grateful for the heavy boots Glenn had managed to find for her. The walker fell to the floor and she quickly stabbed it again in the eye, knowing she was too weak to cut through the skull.

The walker died, the same colored blood oozing out of its eye.

"Go!" She yelled at Carol and the woman nodded at her before running off with Sophia. She saw Jim taking care of the walker that had attached to Amy and looked around to see Ed being attacked by two walkers. One bit his shoulder as the other attacked him from the front.

She ran to his aid, hitting the walker biting his shoulder with the end of the knife. The blow wasn't hard enough to knock it down, but it did make it turn its attention to her rather than Ed. It growled and snarled at her and she didn't hesitate before stabbing it in the same place as she did with the others. It went down.

Ed had been bit already. And the other walker that had attacked him continued to feast on him. She knew it was too late to save him so she ran away as more walkers began heading towards the fallen man.

Suddenly another walker grabbed onto her hair, this time with enough force to yank her to the floor. She let out a scream as it fell on top of her. It was too heavy for her to push off so she wrestled with it, trying to keep it from biting her. It furiously tried to bite at any part of her flesh it could reach as Grace continued to scream.

The group from the city finally made it back to camp, running as they heard the screams. They instantly started to fight off the walkers, trying to keep their people safe. Rick looked for his family, taking down walkers as he continued on. T-dog instantly began smashing the walkers trying to clear a path.

Glenn noticed Grace on the floor, a walker on top of her.

"Grace!" He screamed, drawing Daryl's attention from next to him.

Daryl looked too see Grace's small figure until the walker as it tried to bite her. He aimed his arrow in line with its head and shot.

An arrow impaled its head, and Grace felt its body slumped on top of her. She wriggled out from underneath it, tears pooling in her eyes. She had thought she was going to die. She really thought she was going to die.

Daryl ran to the girl and Grace looked up to him, eyes wild with fright. He threw an arm in front of her waist, pulling her behind him.

"Stay close." He whispered. She nodded, holding the knife tight in her hand. Daryl pulled the arrow from the walkers head and continued walking, trying to get them to safety. He slung his crossbow around his neck and used his rifle instead. It was quicker and easier.

"Get to the RV!" Shane yelled and Daryl began making a path for them.

He shot at a walker that growled in front of him and continued walking. He yelled at Grace to stay close at him as he could hear her breathing in fright behind him. He bashed in the head of another walker with the end of the gun. He shot at a few others, keeping the RV in his line of sight.

He heard Grace scream from behind him and whirled around to see a walker grab on to her arm. He watched in surprise as the girl stabbed the walker in the eye with a knife before he could even react. The walker fell to the ground dead, and she bent down to rip the knife out. She turned back to him and he grasped onto her wrist, dragging her closer this time. He didn't want something else to grab onto her again.

They were really close to the RV and Rick ran to his son. Daryl bashed in the head of another walker before he realized all the shooting had seized. It was over, he realized, as he looked around. They had taken care of the walkers. With the panic lessoning, he remembered that Grace had been struggling with that walker when they got there. He turned to her and grabbed onto her shoulders.

"Were you bitten?" He asked, his voice hard.

She shook her head no, tears pooling in her eyes. He glanced down her body, looking for wounds. She had some blood on her legs, but he didn't see any open wounds so he figured it must have been someone else's blood. He looked at her face and noticed the new bruise on her jaw. He grasped her face in his hands, running his calloused fingers over the soft skin of her jaw.

"What happened now?" He asked, his voice low.

"Ed." She said, squeezing her eyes shut.

Daryl hissed in angry and released her jaw, looking around at the survivors for the bastard he was going to kill. He didn't see Ed, so he scanned the camp to see his dead body, half eaten, by the tent him and his family lived in. His face was heavily bruised, and Daryl didn't think the walkers did that. He was confused for a second.

"Shane took care of him." Grace whispered, looking up at Daryl with her big, blue eyes.

Daryl couldn't help but wish it had been him that got to beat the shit out of Ed.

Suddenly the cries of Andrea caught everyone's attention. Grace looked around Daryl's body to see Andrea hovering over Amy's body that was covered in blood as Amy struggled on the ground, running her fingers on Andrea's face. Grace felt her throat close up as she watched her friend struggling to hold onto her life. She let out a tiny sob and she felt tears begin to drip from her eyes.

"Amy?" She called out, her voice rough, "Amy!"

Daryl grabbed her and blocked her view of the scene.

"Don't look." He said, roughly.

"Amy!" She yelled out again, trying to break out of Daryl's grip to run to her friend's side. But Daryl held onto her tightly, continuing to block her view. He knew it was bad. The girl's throat had been ripped and her arm chewed. He knew how emotional Grace was, and he knew the girl wouldn't be able to handle seeing her friend like that. So he held her there as she struggled. Her small frame was nothing against his muscular, trained arms.

"You don't want to see that." He said. "Trust me."

He suddenly felt her body go limp as she gave up her struggle. Daryl had to tighten his hold on her as her legs barely kept her up. Tears poured from her eyes, mixing with the dirt and blood on her face. Daryl wondered whose blood was all over her, but didn't ask the girl who was overcome with emotions. So he just held her there as she cried, not wanting to drop her on the floor or let her see her friend. Glenn walked up besides them and wrapped an arm around Grace's shoulder. Daryl let the Asian boy take her from his grasp but continued to block the view of Amy with his body.

Daryl watched the girl cry in the chink's arms. He couldn't help but think back to how she had comforted him when he was worried about Merle. But he didn't know how to help her now. He didn't grow up with no hugs. His father would beat him if he even came home and Merle definitely didn't spread no love to him. He had grown up learning that crying was weakness, emotion was weakness, and that to be a man, you must never give a fuck. But he couldn't help but want to comfort the girl, maybe only because she had helped him before. So, he placed a hand on her shoulder, not knowing what else to do.

And that's how most of the night was spent-listening to the cries of the people around him as they figured out who they had lost.

It seemed that Grace had eventually tired herself from crying so much a while later. Glenn and her had sat down on the floor, holding each other as she cried from the loss of her friend. She was sitting limp in his lap, her head on his shoulder. Daryl watched the boy try to stand up and pick her up, but he wasn't strong enough to lift the girl.

Daryl almost wanted to laugh as he watched the Asian boy struggle with the small girl. But he didn't. Instead he pushed the boy out of the way and lifted her into his arms easily. She barely weighed a thing.

Glenn, seeing him about to lift her with such ease, blushed a bit from embarrassment.

"Last tent on the left." The boy muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

Daryl looked for the tent and decided it was too far away for his comfort. If another attack happened, the girl would be too far away from the group and she might be killed. He didn't think the group could deal with another loss in the state they were in.

"Too far." He said. "I'll put 'er in my tent."

Glenn nodded and watched as the man carried his friend to a tent closer to the RV.

Daryl was thankful that the tent was already unzipped as he stepping inside with ease. He set her down on his cot, even pulling a blanket over her sleeping body. He was glad Merle wasn't here to see this. Damn bastard would probably be calling him whipped and a pussy or some shit like that. Before he pulled the blanket on though, he noticed the knife in the waist band of her shorts. He tugged it out and realized it was one of his hunting knives. He placed it next to the cot just in case something happened and she would need it again before leaving, making sure to zip the tent up behind him. He knew them walkers couldn't work zippers.

Rick rallied him, T-dog, and Jim over. He told them the plan of how they were to bury the bodies of the ones they loved and burn the rest. He directed them to begin piling the bodies in those two groups. The three men nodded and began to do as he told them to.

And that's how the rest of Daryl's night was spent.

* * *

The next morning the bodies were almost done being piled into two groups. The group of the buried was small, but still a significant dent to their group. Daryl thought they might as well just burn them all. But he didn't question it. He just helped pile the bodies of their fellow camp members onto the back of his truck to take up the hill. As he pulled the dead body of Ed over, he realized he hadn't been shot in the end. He raised his axe to smash his head, when Carol stopped him.

"I'll do it." She said, grabbing the axe. "He was my husband."

Daryl nodded silently and watched as the woman bashed in the head of the one who had hurt her for years, taking out all her pain and frustration. He thought of his own father who used to abuse him. He wondered if he would be doing the same thing this woman was now...he figured he'd a probably bashed his head in before he had actually died from the bites.

He walked away, letting the woman grieve alone.

Instead he grabbed another body from the floor. Not recognizing this one, he figured it was probably going to go in the burn pile. He dragged the damn thing by its leg and walked to where the pile was. He dropped the leg when he saw Grace, who he hadn't seen since he placed her in his tent last night. She was sitting next to one of the fallen walkers. A little confused, he picked the leg back up and dragged the thing over to where she was.

As he got closer, the girl looked up at him with her big eyes. He could see that she hadn't washed up yet. She was still covered in dirt and blood. The bruise on her cheek was fading, but the one on her jaw looked like it had grown over night.

"Whadda ya' doin'?" He asked, throwing the leg down. "Get away from that thing."

Grace looked down at the woman, brushing the thin blonde hair from its face. She recognized her. It was one of the women who worked at the local government building back in her town. She didn't know her name, but she knew she lived off Marbury Street and had two children, a husband, and a dog. Her town was small and most everyone knew each other. But for some reason, she couldn't recall her name.

"Do you know her name?" Grace asked, her voice soft.

Daryl looked at her confused, "No."

"Neither do I." She sighed. "But she lived in my town. She had children, a husband, a life. They all did. All these people were someone before this happened."

Daryl stayed quiet as he examined the girl. Maybe she was losing her mind.

"Just think about it, would you." She said, turning to look at him. "This could have easily been us, anyone of these people. And here we are, killing them as though they are ants crawling into our kitchen. I-I killed people last night, Daryl."

"Ya' can't think like that, anymore." He grunted. "Ya' just got to think about survivin'."

"But isn't that what they're doing too?" She asked. "I don't know what this is. I can't even fathom how it started. But whatever disease they have makes them crave human flesh, our flesh. So they attack. To survive. But it's different for them. They don't think like us anymore. They're like animals. We know better. So why do we keep killing?"

"What choice do ya' have?" Daryl snapped, "Ya' kill or ya' get killed. Simple as that. Best ya' learn that now girl. Or ya' goin' end up like these 'people'."

"I guess you're right." She sighed, looking down. "I guess this is all a part of God's plan. I don't understand why he's doing this, but I've been taught not to question God."

"And ya' were taught not ta kill." Daryl said. "But sometimes things change."

Grace didn't reply and just continued to stroke the hair of the dead woman.

"Listen Grace." He said. "Ya' can sit here and pray, ask God why he did all of this, hope that he keeps ya' safe. But all that's gonna do is get ya' killed. Ain't no God watchin' over us now. So it's best ya' get up and forget about all this Jesus, preacher boy stuff and learn how to survive."

"Everyone thinks I'm this little girl who can't take care of herself." Grace said, not meeting his eyes."Like I'm one of the children. But I can handle myself. I can stand up to a grown man and let him hit me if that means that his wife doesn't have to take another blow. I can kill my own mother when she tries to kill me. I know how to use a knife to take out walkers. I know my way with revolvers. I'm not helpless. I might not be able to survive on my own, but I can help this group survive."

Daryl was a little uncomfortable with her speech. He didn't do well with emotions and people's feelings. But he did realize how the group saw her-how he saw her. Everyone assumed she was weak. Just some preacher's daughter that had been sheltered all her life. But he was beginning to realize she wasn't as weak as they had assumed. Sometimes her emotions got in the way sometimes, but with the way the world was going, he figured that problem would be knocked out of the way soon. She needed some fine tuning, alright. But she wasn't one of the children.

"If ya' don't wanna' be treated like them children," He said. "Than ya' gotta stop actin' like the children. Ya' gotta toughen up. Stop ya' crying, stop ya' fits about killin'. It's not just about survivin' but being a survivor. Them walkers won't hesitate to kill ya' and ya' can't hesitate either. Pray all ya' want, but when it comes ta killin' ya' don't question it, ya' just do it."

Grace took it all in with silence before standing up and facing him.

"Will you teach me?" She asked suddenly. "How to kill them?"

Daryl glanced her over for a second, studying her face. Long eyelashes framed determined eyes, her eyebrows pulled together as she waited for his answer. He wanted to say no. The girl had already warmed up enough to him, treating him like she did. And when he found himself worrying about her, if only a little, last night, he didn't want to form any more attachments to her. This world wasn't meant for things like that. But as he looked at her face and met her eyes, the answer slipped from his lips before he could even think about.

"Yeah." He said. "Yeah, I'll teach ya'."

Grace smiled at him but Daryl just looked away. He heard her sigh a little and the sound of her voice surprised him. He figured she would leave.

"What happened to Merle?" She asked, realizing she hadn't seen him around.

"Bastard cut his hand off and ran." He said. "Couldn't find him."

Her eyes widened in shock, "Guess he is as tough as you said. Nothing can kill Merle expect Merle right?"

"Nothin' can kill Merle expect Merle." He echoed.

"Do you think he'll head back here?" She asked.

"He stole the van." Daryl said. "If he'd been comin' back, he would've been 'ere already."

"Doubt he'd want to come back to the people he thought tried to kill him." She said.

Daryl agreed with her.

"Son 'o bitch left me here with ya'll." He joked.

It was the first time Grace had ever heard him joke around and she couldn't help but giggle.

"Couldn't leave if you tried." She said. "You love us so much already."

Daryl smirked knowing that statement was far from the truth, "I'm sure what I feel is love."

Grace giggled some more, sensing his sarcasm.

"I'm sure it is too." She laughed. "But I'll leave you alone now, so you can go back to doing what you were."

She walked away and Daryl glanced over her. He couldn't help but notice the small muscle of her lean legs, the curves of her hip, and the way her long, curly blonde hair fluttered down her back. She turned around and he quickly averted his eyes.

"Daryl!" She suddenly called out from a ways off.

He looked to her and saw her holding his hunting knife, the one she had been using last night.

"I got this from your tent last night." She said. "To help kill the walkers."

She started to walk towards him to give it back but Daryl stopped her.

"Keep it." He said.

"Are you sure?" She asked, looking at the knife.

"Yeah, I'm sure." He said. "Keep it."

She gave him another smile before finally walking away.

* * *

The group stood on the upper field where Jim had dug those holes, enough for all the dead bodies of their loved ones. She felt a chill go through her spine as she thought about it. She had finally cleaned herself up and was in new clothes. This time, a pair of jeans that miraculously fit her, tucked into her heavy boots and another tank-top. Andrea was still crying, trying to lift Amy's body into the grave, refusing help. The sight brought fresh tears to Grace's eyes, so she looked at away.

She turned her head to see Daryl staring at her intently. His stare caused her cheeks to turn a light pink. Their eyes met in a swirl of blue and for a moment, she just focused on his face. The way the dirt clung to his face, emphasizing his bone structure, and that hardness in his eyes, a stark contrast to the lightness in her own. She took noticed of the way his lips seemed to tug downwards, as if in a permanent frown and the way-

"Hey Grace." Lori said, grabbing her attention, "Do you mind, uh, saying a few words for those we lost? I mean, as a preacher's daughter…it would just make some of us feel a little bit better."

Grace nodded her head slowly as the group watched her walk to the front. She could still feel Daryl's eyes on her. She closed her own blue ones for a second, thinking about all the funeral services she had been to with her father.

"We are gathered here today, to say farewell to lose we loved and lost, and to commit them into the hands of God." She said, a little unsure. She opened her eyes to see Carol, one of the more religious people in the group give her an encouraging nod as she held her daughter close. Feeling more confident, she continued.

"Lord, our God, you are the source of life. In you we live and move and have our being. Keep us in life and death, in your love, and by your grace, lead us to your kingdom. Through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord." She said, following with an "Amen" that was echoed by the religious people in the group, Morales and his family, Carol and her daughter, Lori's family, and Dale.

She was surprised how much she had remembered from just watching her father and continued with a funeral prayer, "Oh Lord God, who has created us and called us to come home to you. Give us hearts of wisdom, that we may understand how short life is and thus receive every new day as a gift. Give us a living faith in your Son Jesus Christ, who suffered death for our sins, who rose from the grave to give us a hope and who lives forever. Teach us daily to die from sin and to live according to your holy will. At the moment of our death, make us ready to depart in peace. And when the eternal day of resurrection dawns upon the graves of the earth, grant us grace to rise to eternal life."

She again finished with an "Amen" that was echoed by the religious people in the group.

"Does anyone have any words for the fallen?" She asked, looking around the group.

Andrea was too overcome with emotions to say anything about Amy, and it didn't seem as though Carol was going to say anything about her dead husband, not that Grace blamed her. Everyone one else was put in a trance by Grace's prayers and were looking at her with sad but adoring eyes.

"I would like to say something about Amy." Grace said when no one stepped forward. Andrea glanced up at her for a second and gave her a slight nod.

"I didn't know Amy for long, none of us really did except Andrea." She said, "But in our short days here, Amy became a friend to me. She was a kind girl, welcoming, friendly, but most importantly, caring. She cared for her family, for her friends, and for the people she met here. I know some of you don't believe in heaven, but we all must have faith that she is in a better place-that they all are."

Andrea looked down, wiping some tears off her face and Dale gave Grace a kind-hearted smile. She smiled at the two of them and continued on with their small, unofficial service.

"Let us say the Lord's Prayer together." She said, and the few that knew it got ready to chant it with her, "Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen."

To finish up the service, she finished with a blessing, "Receive the Lord's blessing. The Lord blesses you and watches over you. The Lord makes his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. The Lord looks kindly on you and gives you peace; In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit."

"Amen." The group finished up.

She walked back to her spot next to Glenn as Carol and Lori patted her on the back. Grace smiled up at them, happy to have helped lift their spirits. She was beginning to miss her Bible studies group and her Church ceremonies. She had wished that she had at least grabbed her Bible on the way out when she ran from her house.

Glenn smiled down at her when she walked back to his side and grasped her head lightly in his. With Amy gone, they were the last teenagers left. And with everything that happened, they couldn't help but cling to each other as if they were the last two people in the world. They were pretty much siblings now, the whole group could see that. The way they treated each other, the little fights they would get in. They might be completely from separate races, but they clung to each other like brother and sister.

"Where do we go from here?" She asked him.

"I don't know, Grace." He answered, frowning a little, "I guess we go back to what we've been doing."

"And what is that?"

"Surviving." He said, determination in his brown eyes, "We just got to keep surviving."

* * *

**Author's Note: So sorry about those who aren't religious and read through the funeral scene haha. I'm personally not a Christian, but since Grace is, I figured Lori and Carol would have asked her to say some prayers and blessing at the funeral since they are both religious and she is a preacher's daughter. Anyways, Daryl and Grace are finally starting to interact more and I know Daryl's harsh behavior wasn't as present in this chapter, but during this episode he did appear a little more calm, understanding that everyone was hurting. And I think he's still hurting about his brother too so his personality is a little off. Next chapter, things are going to get a little rough. I'm hoping to finish through the CDC and get to the end of season 1. There were be plenty of Daryl-Grace interaction as things get a little more serious and intense. So definitely look out for that!**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks to those who leave their support continuously! **

**Until next time, my little walkers (;**


	6. Tell Me Why

***IMPORTANT PLEASE READ: Okay darlings, so things may or may not be getting a little steamy soon ;) I really want this story to be the most entertaining it can be for my lovely followers, so I wanted to know how steamy you guys want. When I say I can get real naughty, I mean it haha. So I guess the question I have for you guys is do you want naughty, semi-naughty with less details, or like a little naughty with implications? I need enough feedback from you guys to continue you writing, so please drop a review or shoot me a PM with your answers, please! Thank you!***

**Emberka-2012: **I agree. Grace still needs a few more wake-up calls, but she is definitely starting to grow as a survivor. And Daryl-teacher should come into play soon ;) Thanks for the review as always!

**Leyshla Gisel:** Yes, Grace was definitely start exploring things-figuring out the world without parents to tell her how to handle herself. It will definitely be interesting to watch her grow as her own person finally. I understand what you are saying haha. And thank you for the review and continuing to read! (:

**snemes: **I'm super glad you've been enjoying the story! And yes, the sexual tension will keep building until a possible release ;) haha thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

**Thanks also to TeddyxSkeleton and DancingFairy18 for their reviews and to all my followers! Enjoy chapter 6 (:**

**WARNING: Scenes of Sexual Assault**

* * *

**Safe and Sound**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Tell Me Why**

* * *

Grace stood away from the group as she watched them decide whether or not to go to the CDC or Fort Benning. She had listened in for awhile but she wasn't much of a help. She didn't know which one would be safer but if she had to pick who she would rather travel with, she would choose Rick. Shane gave her the creeps sometimes with his intense gaze and harsh attitude. She glanced over at Jim who was looking sicklier. He had been bitten when the walkers attack and she couldn't help but feel her heart break as she saw him deteriorate. Daryl had wanted to kill the poor man. Thankfully, Rick had decided not to.

She grasped her cross and gave a small prayer for the man.

The group had dispersed and it seemed they had begun packing cars. She figured they had finally made a decision and walked over to Glenn.

"So where are we headed?" She asked.

The Asian boy glanced down at her, "The CDC."

"So Shane finally backed down?" She asked.

"Yeah." He said, "Finally."

"Who are you riding with?" She asked, looking at the people packing up the cars. She had packed up most of her clothes after the funeral they had held into a little bag. She was currently wearing a pair of jean shorts and a dark blue tank-top.

"Whoever has room, I suppose." Glenn said, shrugging.

"We have room for one more in the RV." Dale said, coming up behind them, "Other person's going to have to ride with Daryl, I'm afraid."

Before Dale could even finish his sentence, Glenn shot off, running to the RV. Grace rolled her eyes at his behavior.

"Guess that means I'm riding with Daryl." She said, grabbing her bag off the floor. Dale patted her on the back.

She walked over to the man who was putting Merle's motorcycle in the back of the truck. He glanced at her as she stood next to the truck.

"Need sumthin'?" He asked, harshly, " 'cause I'm kinda busy here, if ya' can't see."

She looked down, feeling a bit intimidated again.

"No one else has room in their car." She said.

Daryl looked at her closely, he could see down her shirt from where he was standing and he couldn't help but stare, "And I suppose that's my problem?"

"Well, no." She muttered.

"If we'd 'a just killed Jim like I said, we wouldn't be havin' no problem." He said, "Whatever. Put yer stuff in the back. Can't leave ya' here, can I?"

She nodded and threw her stuff next to Merle's motorcycle making sure it didn't get stuck under the wheels. She glanced over to the RV. She saw Glenn standing by the window and as they made eye contact, he actually pointed and laughed at her. She huffed and crossed her arms, glaring at the laughing boy.

Stupid Glenn.

Rick called everyone over to where he was standing to give his final commands before they dispatched. She walked over with everyone else, taking a spot next to Daryl who was biting on one of his nails. Out of habit, she smacked his hand away from his mouth just like her mother would always do to her when she would bite on her nails.

Daryl glanced down at her, "What the hell, woman?!"

"It's a nasty habit." She explained.

"Does it look like I give a fuck?" Daryl asked, "What 're ya', my mother or sumthin'?"

Her cheeks turned red at the comment, "No! But what if you have some of their flesh under your nails, or blood? Want to turn into one of those things? I thought you were all for 'survivin' and not letting them walkers take ya' down.'"

She mocked his accent and he glared down at her.

"What the hell did I say about running that mouth of yers, preacher girl?" He hissed.

Grace looked like she was going to retort but Shane interrupted them.

"Are you lovers done with your little spat?" He snapped, "'Cause the rest of us are ready to move on with our lives."

Grace's face turned even redder at his comment. She pouted her lips and crossed her arms, looking like a spoiled brat if Daryl would say so himself. So he tugged on her blonde hair, not enough to hurt her. He smirked at the way she instantly dropped her arms and her expression. Dumb girl, he thought. If she wasn't going to be obedient, he would have to train her to be.

Shane glanced at the pair with an uneasy expression before starting his speech, "Everybody listen up! Those of you with CB's, we'll be on channel 40. Let's keep the chatter down, okay? You have a problem, can't get your CB to get a signal, anything, you're gonna hit your horn one time. That'll stop the caravan. Any questions?"

Daryl rubbed his eyes next to Grace, looking like he wanted to get a move on with the plan already.

"We're, uh-we're not going." Morales said, shocking everyone.

"We have family in Birmingham."His wife explained, holding her kids tight to her, "We want to be with our people."

"You go on your own and you won't have anyone to watch your back." Shane warned.

"We'll take the chance." Morales said, "I've gotta' do what's best for my family."

Rick nodded, looking as though he respected that, "Are you sure?"

"We talked about it." He said, "We're sure."

"Alright." Rick said, nodding again.

The cop went into the weapons bag and pulled out a gun and a box of ammo handing it over to the man. They exchanged some words but Grace was too busy watching Daryl who had scoffed and was biting his nail again. He muttered something under his breath but she couldn't make it out.

"Alright, let's go!" Shane said and everyone began walking to their cars.

Grace was about to start walking to Daryl's truck when Morales, with his family behind him, stopped her.

"Uh, Grace?" The man said, calling her attention while rubbing the back of his neck, "I was wondering if you would say a pray for us. It seems right havin' you do it, seeing as you're a preacher's daughter and everything."

Grace looked at Daryl who was watching her closely. She knew he had told her to stop with the Jesus act or whatever words he had used, but looking at this family, she couldn't deny them. They needed God's protection and this…this was just a part of her she wasn't willing to give up just to be a "survivor."

She nodded her head and grabbed one of Morales's hand. His wife grabbed her other hand and their family formed a circle with her.

"Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, 'Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.' And God granted his request. God in heaven hear our prayer; keep us in thy loving care. Be our guide in all we do, bless all those who love us too." She chanted, "Amen."

"Amen." The family chanted. Morales's wife engulfed her in a hug and she gave one last smile to the family before they left to walk to their car. She hoped that God would keep the small family safe but she felt unsure because she had no idea what His plan for them was.

She felt Daryl place his hand on the small of her back and push her in the direction of his truck.

"Come on." He said.

Grace let him guide her to the truck in silence and took a seat in the passenger's side. When everyone was ready, Daryl took off, following the RV. It was silent for a few minutes before Daryl's voice broke it, surprising her.

"Do ya' think ya' dumb lil' prayers gonna be helpin' those people?" He said, harshly, "Waste of bullets, if ya' ask me. They just drove off to their death. Ain't no way they can survive on their own."

Grace fiddled with her tank-top, "You might think my prayers are stupid. But that night the walkers attacked, those stupid prayers gave me the courage to fight."

"Ya' gave yerself the courage to fight." He said, glaring out the window, "Not yer God."

Grace was silent for a moment, "I think the Morales have a chance. Maybe it's better up north."

"Like I said," Daryl replied, "Waste of bullets."

Grace frowned, she didn't want to think of the family dying. She didn't have to reply as Daryl suddenly stopped the car. She looked at him confused but then she saw the RV in front of them had stopped as well. Both of them exited the car to walk up to the group congregating outside.

Dale bent over the RV and Grace could see steam coming from the engine.

"Can you jury-rig it?" Rick asked, looking it over as well.

"Most of the engine is held together with duct tape and glue at this point." Dale said, "And I'm out of duct tape."

"There's something up ahead." Shane interrupted, looking through a pair of binoculars, "A gas station maybe. Might be able to go find what we need."

"I'll go with you." T-dog said. Rick nodded his approval and the pair set off, taking Shane's jeep.

Daryl had his crossbow in his hand, pacing around like a caged animal as he kept his eyes trained on the woods. His behavior put Grace on edge, who jumped in fright when Jacqui came running out of the RV yelling something about Jim. She watched Rick enter the RV to go see Jim and couldn't help but feel goosebumps form on her arm thinking of the poor man.

Rick came back out a few minutes later and started telling the group how Jim wanted them to leave him there-to die.

"Back at camp, when I said Daryl might be right and you shot me down," Dale began, "you misunderstood me. I would never go along with callously killing a man. What I meant was that we should ask him what _he_ wants. I think we got our answer"

"So we just leave him here?" Shane said, "And take off? Man I don't think I can live with that."

Rick looked to his friend, the conflict written all over his face. For once, Grace agreed with Shane. They couldn't do that to the poor man. Maybe they could find something for his pain so he could last the trip. Suicide wasn't the answer; it was just a ticket straight to hell.

"It's not your call." Lori piped up, "Either of you."

Shane glanced at her with reproachful eyes. But no one said anything after that, and Grace figured the decision had been made. She felt powerless as she watched Shane and Rick escort the man to a tree a few ways off and trailed behind them despite the warning look she received from Daryl.

"Hey, look another darn tree." Jim said, his voice lightly. He didn't sound like himself at all.

"You know, Jim." Shane said, bending down to him. "It doesn't have to be like this."

"No, it's good." He replied. "Breeze feels nice."

"Okay." Shane said, wiping his face and standing up. "Alright."

Jacqui took her turn next, bending down to the man. "Jim, just close your eyes. It will all be okay."

She gave him a kiss on the cheek and backed up. Grace couldn't shake the feeling of how wrong this all felt. Rick pulled his gun from his waistband and leaned down to Jim, holding it.

"Jim, do you want this?" He asked.

But the sick man said no, claiming they would need it later. Dale was the last person to mutter some words to the dying man and then they all walked away. Except Grace who couldn't make herself leave the guy's side and Daryl who stood a distance away, watching the pair.

She sat down next to Jim and grabbed onto his hand lightly.

"I don't think this is God's plan for you, Jim." She said softly, feeling tears prickle in her eyes.

The man glanced at her for a second before staring up at the sun.

"I think-I think God has my family." The man muttered. "And that's where my place is. With my family."

"But it doesn't have to be this way." Grace pleaded. "I don't want to leave you here like this."

"Just go." Jim said to the girl, "This is what I want. I'll be okay."

But Grace didn't get up and Daryl was beginning to feel frustrated.

"This is suicide, Jim." Grace tried to reason. "God doesn't take in those who chose to end the life He has given them."

"I'm not killing myself." Jim replied.

Grace swallowed heavily. This was wrong. He shouldn't be giving up like this. His family was safe in Heaven with God now but that didn't mean that his life was over now. God had a lot in store for him if he had kept him alive. He needed to go to the CDC with them; maybe there was a cure. But this...sitting here and wasting away...this was suicide no matter how he looked at it.

"Come on, girl." Daryl called out. "Time to go."

But Grace still refused to get up from Jim's side.

"God, bring mercy to this man's soul for he is weak and needs your guidance." She muttered under her breath.

Jim still remained silent, just staring up into the sun's light.

"Jim, please." She begged, but he still sat in silence.

Jim felt this was right and he just wanted to be with his family.

Daryl, getting angry by her behavior, strode up to the pair and grabbed her around the waist, throwing her over his shoulder. He held onto her with one arm, his crossbow in his other and walked back towards the truck.

The girl pounded on his back, yelling at him to let her go as tears poured from her eyes. She couldn't leave him like that-out there to die and to turn into one of those things. He just needed some painkillers that could get him to the CDC and maybe there would be a cure waiting there for him. This wasn't right.

The group watched the pair with cautious eyes. Daryl could be a dangerous man if he wanted to, especially when he was angry. And right now, he looked angry as he carried the crying girl away. So everyone appeared worried, except one person.

" 'Ey, Dixon." Shane called out. "You keep that girl quiet. She's going to draw out the geeks."

Daryl only grunted in response as he opened the door of his truck and threw the girl inside roughly before quickly entering the truck before the girl could get out. The girl had managed to get the door open, but he reached across her and pulled it shut before grabbing her face in his calloused hands, making her look at him and give up her struggle to escape.

Grace looked up at the angry man, suddenly fearful. His face was so close to hers, she could feel his breath brush across her smooth lips. Her cheeks turned red at the close contact but tears continued to pour from her eyes. She flinched as his hand grazed over her bruise.

"Didn't I tell ya' to stop with this bullshit?" He hissed at her. "Ya' said ya' didn't wanna be treated like them children, then ya' stop this shit right now, ya' hear me? Ya' wipe those damn tears off yer face, and ya' straighten yerself up. Stop this bitch fit, pussy talk right now. Do ya' hear me?"

He waited for her to give some sort of hint that she would listen to him but she just stared up at him with tear-filled, wide eyes.

"I said, do ya' hear me?" He snarled, pulling her face even closer to his roughly.

The girl finally nodded, her eyes even wider and her breathing heavy. But he still didn't let go of her face. His eyes trailed over her face, down her ski-slope nose and to her plump, red lips that were so close to his own. A sudden hunger took over him. He wanted to press his lips to hers, taste her with his tongue. He drew himself closer to her face, leaning down so their foreheads almost touched, lining his lips up with hers.

Grace watched the man, staring intently into his eyes that were suddenly filled with this raged look of hunger. She felt him lean down close to her, as if he was going to kiss her. She was surprised as she suddenly found herself wanting it-wanting him to kiss her. A want that frankly, confused the hell out of her. A fire entered her body, something she had never felt before, that made her cheeks even redder and her breathing heavier.

Daryl was so close. He could feel her heavy breath across his lips, setting his face on fire. His eyes were still trained on her lips, anticipating the feel of their smoothness against his own rough, dried lips, and imagining himself running his tongue along their edge.

Suddenly, a car's horn blasted off in front of them which made him draw away from her on instinct. He watched as she fell back into her seat, her eyebrows drawn together as she bit her lips in confusion. He couldn't help but feel confused as well. He had no idea where his sudden lust had come from. He looked away from her to watch the car's take off. He figured Rick must've honked his horn to alert the others of their depart.

He let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding in and started the car, following after the RV. Grace didn't muttered a single word as she sat there as he drove, staring out the window.

Daryl welcomed the silence.

* * *

When the RV pulled to a curb suddenly, parking, Daryl realized they were finally at the CDC. He parked his car behind the RV and strung his crossbow around his neck as he got out of the car. He grabbed the rifle from the bed of his van and watched as Grace stepped out of the truck as well. They walked up to the group and took in the scene.

The entire place was covered with dead bodies of walkers and people who still looked like humans. There were military barricades, so it was obvious that this place had been protected. But it was so quiet, and the air was stale. It seemed as though no living thing had passed here in awhile. Rick, gun in hand, gestured at the group to follow him as he weaved through the dead bodies.

"Stay close." Daryl whispered to Grace, holding his gun at ready.

The blonde girl nodded her head numbly and followed behind the man with just a hunting knife to protect her if anything attacked. They slowly walked to the gates of the CDC and Grace prayed that Rick's decision had been right.

They made it to the front without a problem and Rick tried to lift the shutters. It didn't work and Shane began banging on them, hoping to gain the attention of the people who were hopefully inside.

"No one's here." T-dog said, staring at the building.

"Then why are these shutters down." Rick said.

"Walkers!" Daryl suddenly shouted, alerting the group.

He grabbed Grace around the waist and pulled her behind him as he turned to face the incoming walkers. He lined his crossbow up with the walkers head and quickly shot, taking it down. He turned around and yelled something Grace couldn't understand in anger.

"He made a call!" Shane yelled, storming over to the guy as the cries of Carl and Sophie grew in the background.

"It was the wrong damn call!" Daryl shouted back and Shane pushed him.

"Shut up, you hear me!" He yelled. "Shut up!"

"Rick this is a dead end." Shane said, turning around to face his friend.

"Where are we going to go?" Carol asked, holding Sophia to her body.

Grace could feel tears begin to form in her eyes, losing a bit of hope as everyone was sent into a panic around her. But then she remembered what Daryl had told her in the car and quickly sucked it up, keeping her tears it. Crying wasn't going to help.

"No blame." Shane said, trying to reason with Rick.

"He's right." Lori said, holding onto Carl. "We can't be this close to the city after dark."

"Fort Benning, Rick." Shane said. "Still an option."

"On what?" Andrea said, joining the discussion. "No food, no fuel, its more than 100 miles away."

"Forget Fort Benning, we need answers tonight." Lori hissed over Carl's cries.

"We'll figure out something." Rick said, trying to keep everyone calm.

Everyone began to break out into cries trying to persuade Rick to leave. Shane turned to everyone and began pushing them back in the direction of the cars.

"We gotta' get out of here." He said, "Come on, let's go."

Grace felt Daryl push her, shaking her from her frozen position and she began to run along with everyone else.

"The camera!" Rick yelled, "It moved."

"You imagine it." Dale explained, holding his gun ready.

"It moved." He muttered under his breath, "It moved."

"Man, it's an automatic device." Shane reasoned, "There's no one in there. Now come on. We can't keep everyone here, it's not safe. We need to leave. We need to leave now."

Everyone grew more panicked as Rick refused to move from his spot. Grace stopped running and stood in her place not sure what to do.

The cop began to yell more things at the camera, but Grace couldn't hear him over the panic of everyone else. She looked back towards the cars to see more walkers begin to come, probably drawn in from the noise. She started to panic as a well. There were trapped in between the building and a line of hungry walkers. They would die. They were going to die.

Suddenly, one of the shutters opened up and they were all blinded by a bright light momentarily. Everyone looked confused for a second. They had been so sure no one was inside the building.

"Come on!" Rick yelled, waking everyone from their trance.

Grace walked in cautiously, watching Daryl from the corner of her eye. He had his rifle held at ready and his crossbow strung around his neck. She could feel the tension of the group as they all looked unsure.

A man in a grey shirt stepped forward from the shadows. He was beyond pale, as though he hadn't seen the sun in years; with matching pale hair and eyes. He looked dejected, almost empty as he glanced over the group. His eyes landed on Grace and they locked eyes. The empty look her gave her sent chills down her spine.

"Anyone infected?" He called out.

"One of our group was." Rick answered. "He didn't make it."

"What do you want?" He called out, not stepping closer and his gun pointed at the group.

"A chance." Rick answered for the group.

"That's an awful lot to be asking these days." He said, but nonetheless put his gun down.

"I know." Rick sighed.

Grace watched him hesitantly. The man for some reason, seemed dangerous almost not even human. She was suddenly becoming aware of what the world was doing to people. Now more than ever, the true side of people came out and the man in front of them looked so worn out.

Daryl stepped up close behind her, so close she could feel the heat coming off his body. He was still hanging onto his gun tightly.

"You all submit to a blood test." He said. "That's the price of admission."

"We can do that." Rick agreed.

The guy began walking forward, "You got things you want to bring in, you do it now. Once these doors close, they stay closed."

Rick, Shane and T-dog ran outside to grab some of the bags they had dropped at the front of the building and once they were back inside, the strange man commanded something to close the door, running his card through a slot.

Grace looked to Glenn, to make sure he was alright. He was a little pale, probably from the panic they had experience earlier, but as he caught her gaze he gave her a light smile.

Soon they were all shoved in an elevator. Grace had been sandwiched between Glenn and Daryl. Her whole backside was pressed against the older man as they all squeezed to fit into the elevator and she couldn't help but blush at the contact, especially as the thoughts of what happened in the car entered her mind. She took in quick breaths, feeling nervous and a little anxious for some reason.

Daryl, who was shoved behind the girl, could feel her body pressing up against his side. Her breathing was driving him crazy as she kept squirming against him and he couldn't help but feel his body warm up. He tried to get his thoughts off the girl who kept putting his mind in such a weird state and instead questioned the doctor about his gun.

"Do doctors always go 'round packin' heat like that?" He asked, his voice rougher than normal.

Doctor Jenner glanced back at him for a second, "Well there were plenty lying around, so I familiarized myself."

He looked around the elevator, taking in everyone's face.

"You all look harmless enough." He decided. "Except you. I'll have to keep my eye on you."

Carl smiled a bit as he realized the man was talking to him; his cheeks turning a light pink.

The mood turned a little somber when the group found out Jenner was all that was left of the CDC and soon they were giving blood tests. When Andrea almost fainting after giving hers, Jenner realized they had eaten in days. He told them of the plentiful food the building had stored and not too soon after, they were all sitting around a dinner table, sharing a meal.

Grace watched as they managed to convince Lori to let Carl try some wine, and laughed when the kid thought it was disgusting.

"Stick to your soda pop, kid." Shane said, drinking from his own glass of wine.

"Not you, Glenn." Daryl said and Grace realized it was the first time he had even called the boy by his name. "I wanna' see how red yer face can get."

The group laughed, everyone's mood lightened with the food in their bellies and the wine on the table. Grace stuck to drinking water. He father had forbid her from drinking alcohol besides the wine they gave at Church during services. And although he wasn't here now to tell her not to drink any, she couldn't help but cherish his words.

"And you Grace!" T-dog yelled from next to Daryl, "I want to see how a preacher's daughter handles her alcohol."

Everyone in the group laughed as Daryl strode over to where she sat and leaned down over her to pour some wine into her empty glass. She blushed from the attention of the group.

As Daryl pulled away he stopped for a moment to whisper in her ear, "Drink up, baby girl."

Her cheeks turned redder and she pushed the glass away from her.

"I can't." She announced to the group, still choosing her water. "I'm not old enough."

"Oh come on!" Rick laughed, joyous from his alcohol intake. "I give you permission. Just one glass, Grace."

"Yeah," Glenn encouraged, "Just pretend you're at Church or something."

Daryl had gone to sit back down and she glanced at him to see him staring at her intently again. She already knew his opinion on the matter and she remembered his words from the campsite. He thought it was about time she let go of the preacher's daughter act. The world had gone to hell, he had said, things weren't the same anymore.

"But I'm not at Church." Grace replied bluntly.

"Even more of a reason." T-dog said, causing the others to laugh along him.

"If the girl doesn't want to drink, don't force her." Lori said. "It's okay, Grace, you don't have to."

"Drink! Drink! Drink!" Glenn began to chant and most of the others joined in.

Grace was at a crossroad: listen to her father or these new people? She was lost without her parent's guidance. She reasoned that if her father was sitting at the table now, a drink would have never been poured for her. But as she looked around at all the new faces of the people she was beginning to bond with, she couldn't help but be peer pressured. With her eyes locked with Daryl's, she grabbed the glass and lightly took a few sips. The group broke into cheers and Daryl smirked at her.

The cheerful atmosphere of the room was soon broken by Shane, who questioned Doctor Jenner about what had happened to the CDC. Grace could feel the tension in the room escalade and sat in silence as the doctor explained how most of his workers had "opted out" while others had been killed. Grace felt her heart drop at the news, watching Rick's face. She knew he had invested most of his hope and faith into this place and she knew he had been let down a little.

"You are such a buzz kill." Glenn, who was sitting next to her, muttered to Shane.

For a moment, the festivities were over. Everyone sat in silence as they processed the news. And Grace was beginning to see just how tired everyone was at hearing such things. After all they had been through; this had been the only thing keeping people going. But Grace truly believed they shouldn't give up now. So what if Ed Jenner was the last person in the CDC left, maybe they could still do some good here.

Everyone's mood were lightened soon however from the wonderful power of alcohol. Grace only had a few more sips of her own wine, before going back to drinking her water.

Glenn was getting pretty tipsy next to her, finishing up his third glass. Grace glanced at him warily as he sort of swayed back and forth, laughing so hard at T-dog's joke that his face was bright red. It was obvious that Daryl was very familiar with alcohol, because he seemed to not be reacting as much as she would've thought after how much he had drank. It was obvious that Rick was drunk, as he giggled happily at just about anything.

Shane was still brooding in his seat. It seemed he was a bit of what her friend Abby would've called a depressed drunk. He refused to look at anyone and just stared his food. Grace couldn't help but feel a little bit frightful, seeing the look in his eyes. He looked like a caged lion at a zoo; all this pent up anger with nowhere to displace it. And the way he was glancing up at Lori every now and then was concerning her.

But it was Shane. He had always been a little off, so she didn't really think about it too much. The group moved their celebration to one of the recreational room, besides Carol and the children who went to another room to look for other games to play. There was a TV in the room, but no one turned it on because Jenner had told them not to use electricity. Instead, Glenn ushered her over to the big pool table on the side of the room.

"Glenn, I don't know how to play." Grace whispered to the boy.

"I'll teach ya'." He slurred at her and it was painfully obvious that he was drunk. Grace looked at him doubtfully but still followed after him.

He was a horrible teacher. She didn't know if it was because he was drunk or just because he was just horrible at teaching but all he did was stick a pool stick in her hand and tell her to aim for the balls. He giggled at himself saying the word balls and had run off with T-dog to make a mess of the CD collection on a shelf on the other side of the room.

Grace sighed as she stared down at the balls set up in a triangle on the table and figured she'd hit a few around out of pure boredom. She tried to imitate holding the stick like she had seen in the movies, but she was sure she was doing a pretty bad job at it

She tried to hit one of the balls, but the stick slipped out of her hands. No one had noticed her stumble but she still blushed a little, bending down to pick it back up. She tried it again, placing the pool stick on the table and leaned over to hold it. Suddenly, she felt a heavy body press against her backside and lean over her, grabbing her arms in their hand.

"Yer doin' it wrong." A rough voice whispered in her ears.

Daryl's breath ran over her ear and she could feel the heat radiating off his body as he placed himself on top of her. She felt her cheeks turn even redder from the sudden heat running throughout her body. She felt tingles down her spine that made her body shutter.

Daryl, who was pressed against her, felt her body swivel underneath him and he couldn't help but let his mind wander to how she would feel wriggling beneath him, yelling out his name, clutching the bed sheets. If I was possible, his body felt even hotter and these thoughts swarmed in his mind. He grunted a bit and blamed it on the alcohol he had been drinking. But he continued to grab her arms and place them in the right position.

"Put ya' left arm forward a lil' more." He commanded in her ear.

She tried to ignore the way his breath brushed against her neck, "Like this?"

"Just like that." He replied.

He helped her pull the stick back and shoot the ball.

"There ya' go." He breathed into her ear.

He went to pull his hand away from her arm, but accidently grazed the side of her boob. He felt another shutter rack through her body that his body couldn't help but react to as her cheeks lit up from embarrassment. He let out a little hiss and backed away from the girl, suddenly angry about the effect she was having on him.

She glanced around at him in confusion, wondering why he started to act so weird.

It only made him angry, looking at him like that as she leaned over the pool table, lookin' like she was ready to be mounted or something. That girl shouldn't be able to hold such an effect on Daryl's mind. And he was getting pissed at how she seemed to be able to do it without even noticing.

"Now stop bein' so stupid." He muttered at her, not even able to put any harshness in his tone.

He backed out of the room, needing to get away from the girl. He needed a shower, and even though Jenner had told them there was hot water, he couldn't help but feel that he needed a cold one.

Grace watched him leave in confusion before Glenn's drunk presence slid into the spot Daryl had just left. He looked at her briefly, and then at the man who was stalking out of the room. He raised an eyebrow in her direction.

"So, you and Daryl?" Glenn said, a uncharacteristic smirk on his face, "Daryl's pretty sexy."

If it was even possible, Grace's face turned even redder and she smacked the boy on the arm.

"Glenn!" She exclaimed, not even hiding her shock.

"What?" He asked, looking at her through his drunk eyes, "I'm just sayin'. No homo."

She continued to stare at him as if he was crazy, and in her eyes, he was. He just laughed and then danced off, singing a song under his breath, horrible out of tune, as he joined T-dog in his drunken festivals. She shook her head at the pair. Her dad had been right when he told her to stay away from alcohol; it definitely made a person crazy.

Grace left the room, needing to get away from their crazy. She decided to go back to her room and rest a little bit. It had been a long day, full of emotions (mainly confusing ones caused by Daryl) and physical strain. And she couldn't wait to lie on a bed. It had been so long since she had that luxury.

* * *

Shane stood outside of Grace's door. His thoughts went back to what had just happened. Lori had pushed him away. Push him away when all he wanted was to love her. He couldn't help his feelings. He couldn't help falling in love with the strong wife of his best friend. It had eaten away at his stomach. He was guilty at first, upset, depressed and angry. He knew she felt something for him. Before Rick came back, he was almost certain that she was falling in love with him. It doesn't end that fast. She wanted to pretend that what she felt never existed. That once Rick came back, none of it mattered. But it mattered to him. More than anything. He had nothing left in this world. Nothing except the love he felt for her, the love he was clinging onto. It was the only thing that was keeping him sane.

But she didn't want to return it, even if she felt it. And for that reason, he was angry. He was beyond angry. Maybe it was easy for her to latch to Rick, forget all about him. But he had no one. He wanted to forget about her. Forget about the feelings that attached him to her. Maybe if he forgot about his feelings, he could coexist with this group. But with the things going the way they were, he wasn't sure he could deal with this much longer.

So Shane stood outside Grace's door, finally making his decision. What he needed right now, was the opposite of Lori. Someone with light hair, blue eyes, and a meek personality. Someone who didn't have the inner strength of Lori, someone young, someone naïve, someone that was the complete opposite of her. Thankfully, for him, someone like that existed in his group. He wasn't sure why he was doing this. But after his fight with Lori, he was feeling desperate. Desperate enough to try this. Desperate enough to try and rid his feelings for Lori. He just wanted to be numb again.

He knocked on the door.

The girl in question answered it a few moments later. She looked confused at his presence, staring at him with those big blue eyes that were so different from Lori's almond-shaped brown ones.

"Shane," She said, her voice so soft and light, different from Lori's commanding tone. "Do you need something?"

He didn't say anything as he pressed on the door, opening it wider and letting himself in. She stood back and let him in, not even questioning him, just looking at him curiously. Lori would've thrown him out, yelled at him for entering without her permission. He shut the door behind him and the girl looked at him, a little bit of fear mixed into her curious gaze this time. Lori never looked at him in fear. Suddenly he made his decision, grabbed the girl by the shoulders and slammed her into the door he had just shut. Before she could scream, he bent down and forcefully kissed her.

She tried to push him away, but his easily overpowered her, grabbing her hands in his large ones and placing them above her head. She was trapped under his body as he continued to force himself on her. She turned her head sideways and let out a little scream. He took both of her hands in one, and used the other hand to grab her jaw roughly, and shut her up with his mouth. She struggled underneath him, but her small body was not enough to push the large man off of her.

He grabbed her by the hips and threw her down on the bed. She let out another scream for help before he threw himself on top of her. He took her hands above her head again because it was easier to control her that way. He held her jaw with his other hand and continued his assault on her. She tried to kick at him with her legs, so he let go of her jaw and used his hands to spread her thighs and placed his body in between them so she couldn't kick him.

Shane released himself from her lips to take a breather and she let out another scream for help. He grabbed her face roughly, fingers pressing into her bruise and she looked at him in fright.

"Shut up." He growled at her and then returned to forcing himself on her.

He ran his tongue along her smooth lips, and when she refused to open them for him, he forcefully did it with his tongue and shoved it down her throat.

Grace began to cry as he slid his tongue in her mouth. She felt defenseless and she knew she was about to be raped and there wasn't a thing she could do about it. She continued to struggle under him but it didn't help at all as he was much heavier than her. He stopped his assault on her mouth and began kissing her neck, sucking on her flesh.

"Shane." She pleaded, "Stop, please."

He ignored her pleas, and roughly kissed her again as he felt her getting ready to scream. With his free hand, he unbuttoned her jean shorts and she felt his hand touch the top of her underwear. His hand slid into her panties and his fingers grazed the sensitive skin there. She began struggling even more, desperate more than ever to get the man off of her. She didn't want to lose her virginity this way. She never wanted to be touched like this, forced like this. He seemed to decide against going further down there for now, and instead slid his hand up her shirt. She felt his fingers touch the edge of her bra, rubbing the top of her ribcage.

He paused for a moment, hovering over her mouth.

"Shane." She begged again, "Please, please don't do this. Please."

He looked conflicted but he still held her hands above her head.

Daryl, who had been walking back to his room after his hot shower and heard some noise coming from Grace's room. He stood outside the door, listening for a moment. He had heard a scream earlier, and he wasn't sure where it came from. But standing out here now, he could hear the creaks of the bed and a tiny sob. He knocked on the door and called out her name.

"Grace?" He said, his eyebrows pulled together in confusion.

Grace looked up at Shane who was staring down at her, conflict written all over his face. He slid his hand out from under her shirt.

"Grace," He whispered. "I'm so-"

Suddenly she heard Daryl calling out for her and she took the opportunity of not having Shane's lips forced on her.

"Daryl." She screamed in fear. She wasn't sure if Shane was stopping or not, but she didn't want to take the chance.

Daryl, hearing her scream his name and hearing the fear in her voice, slammed the door open. He addressed the scene quickly. Shane was on top of the girl, holding her hands above her head. Daryl hissed in anger and grabbed the man by the back of the shirt, throwing him off the girl and onto the floor. He punched him in the face and the man didn't fight back.

"Grace, Grace." The man pleaded, "I'm so sorry."

Grace sat up on the bed, fear still in her eyes and her hair ruffled up from her struggle. Daryl glanced at her, seeing how terrified she was and the red marks on her wrists from where Shane had gripped them to restrain her. He had never felt so angry in his life and he turned back to the man who continued to apologize to Grace. He punched him in the face again and reeled his fist back for another jab but Grace stopped him, placing a small hand on his chest.

"Grace, get out of the way now." He said, lowly.

"Daryl, stop." She pleaded, tears still coming from her eyes. "He said he's sorry. He stopped. He's not going to do it again."

Daryl ignored the girl and glared down at Shane.

"Is this what ya' do?" He snarled. "Force yerself on defenseless girls, ya' fuckin' bastard."

Shane ignored him and kept apologizing to Grace. She could see the regret in his eyes and she knew he was truly sorry. Whatever had possessed him before was gone, and she could see that now.

"Daryl." She pleaded again. "Stop. Please."

Daryl looked at the tear-stained face of Grace. She was begging him not to beat up the man that had just forced himself on her. He was confused and still angry. He could feel the anger pulsing through his veins. He wanted nothing more than to tear Shane apart.

"He wasn't thinking right." She said. "But he stopped. He's back. Just-Just let him go."

Daryl was conflicted. He wanted to beat the man to a pulp for touching her, forcing himself on her. But her pleas were hard to resist for some reason. And he was so confused.

"Consider this yer lucky day." He snarled down at Shane. "If I ever see ya' doin' this to her again, I will tear ya' apart with my own hands and I will not hesitate to kill ya'"

Shane quickly got up from his spot on the ground and left the room, holding his jaw in his hand. Daryl whirled around to look at the girl sitting on the bed. He noticed her jeans unbuttoned and wondered how far that son of a bitch had gone.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't follow that bastard and beat the shit outta' him." Daryl said, pinching the spot in between his eyebrows in frustration.

"Because I need you here." The girl said, breaking down into tears.

She had almost been raped. She had never felt so violated in her life. With everything that's happened so far, this sent her over the edge and she couldn't help but cry. The world had officially gone to hell. And she didn't think it would ever go back. She let out tiny, quiet sobs and Daryl glanced down at her. His hands fell to his sides as he watched the Grace cry out her fear.

"Did he hurt ya'?" He asked, bending down to her height.

Grace thought back to how he had slid his hand down her pants. How he had been so close to grabbing her chest. She could still feel his lips on her, sucking on her neck, forcing his tongue down her throat. She felt a chill go through her body. Daryl, noticing her shaking, took that as an answer for his question.

"How far?" He asked, not even sure if he wanted to know.

Grace glanced up at him, her blue eyes full of tears. She suddenly looked to the spot behind him. He turned around to see T-dog standing there, a towel hanging over his shoulder, looking at them in shock. His eyes were on the crying girl. Daryl strode to the door.

"Mind ya' own business." He snapped and shut the door.

He walked back over to Grace, squatting down in front of her and grabbing her shoulders, forcing her to look at him.

"Did he, ya' know?" He asked.

She shook her head no and bit her lip.

"Did he…touch ya'?" He asked.

She looked away and slowly shook her head. Daryl punched the spot next to her on the bed in anger. Grace jumped in fright at his sudden behavior and he regretted it for a moment. But then he remember how pissed he was, thinking of that bastard touching her like that. Forcing himself on her. He got up, ready to go beat the living shit out of him this time.

She suddenly stood up as well, sensing that he was going to leave. She grabbed a fistful of his shirt and he looked down at her.

"Daryl, please." She begged. "Please don't leave me."

Daryl still looked pissed but he didn't make any hints at leaving so she let go of his shirt and sat back down. She drew her legs up to her chest and hugged them. Daryl looked around the room. The sheets of the bed were messed up from probably her struggle and the blanket was on the ground. He picked it up and put it back on the bed when a thought struck him.

"Where's yer knife?" He asked. "The one I gave ya'."

She pulled on the drawer of the nightstand next to the bed and grabbed the knife. He took it from her hands.

"Ya' keep this under yer pillow from now on." He said. "He comes in 'ere and tries to do that shit again, ya' don't hesitate, okay?"

She nodded her head as Daryl slid the knife under her pillow then sat down on the bed next to her. He was uncomfortable sitting there as the girl next to him cried. He had never had to comfort people before and frankly, he did not like emotions. He wasn't use to crying girls, they had always annoyed him. Even now he was annoyed. All he wanted to do was go kill Shane, beat the guy till he could no longer move. But for some reason, he couldn't leave Grace's side. So he sat there on the small bed next to her as she cried.

He didn't know how long she cried, but when he felt her body against his shoulder, he realized that she had worn herself out and had fallen asleep. He let out a breath and leaned her back on the bed, pulling the blanket around her body. He got up to leave when he heard a small voice gnawing in the back of his mind. _Please don't leave me._

He ran a frustrated hand through his growing hair but kicked off his shoes and sat back down on the bed next to her. He couldn't even begin to fathom why he was staying, but something was preventing him from getting up and leaving. He figured it was only because he thought Shane would come back and try something again. And this time he would make sure to kill him when he had the chance.

He leaned back, scooting away from the sleeping girl but laying on the bed. It had been awhile since he had laid on a bed and it felt so relieving. He could feel the chinks in his back from sleeping on the floor for the past few weeks. He yawned a bit, feeling incredibly tired all of a sudden. He could hardly control his eyes, but tried to keep them open. He failed though and soon drifted off to sleep like the girl next to him.

* * *

**Author's Note: SOOOO what do you guys think will happen when Grace wakes up to find Daryl's sexy ass in bed with her? And how's the group going to respond to Shane's busted up face? Leave me a review and let me know what you thinks going to happen! Thanks again for reading. Hope you all enjoyed :) Next chapter will finish up the CDC and season 1! **


	7. Mine

***Thanks for all the responses I got for the question I asked you guys last time! I was pleasantly surprised to find out most of you are naughty little things ;) If you still haven't responded with your answer, please do so! (: OHHH, and there's this guy who sits next to me in my environmental science class who looks like he can be Shane's younger brother or something...so creepy haha. Just thought I'd share that with you guys.**

**Snemes: **I love me some sexual tension ;) haha and thank you so much! I'm glad you've been enjoying the story! And I agree completely, Daryl is seriously way too sexy for his own good. I hope you enjoy the new chapter! Thanks for the review (:

**Peperina: **Ah, it was so good to hear from you! I use to hate Shane too. He annoyed me so much. Lori annoys me too haha. Carl, I can deal with, but he gets annoying sometimes as well. But I'm starting to understand why Shane when so nuts. Love makes you do weird things. Ohh, and steamy just means like hot or naughty haha. I hope you had fun on your travels! I miss Dale as well :( And I agree, Herschel and Grace are going to get along just fine haha. And Shane was definitely taking some of his own frustrations out on Ed but Ed deserved it anyways haha. lol at Grace performing an exorcism XD Thanks for the reviews, as always(: Hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

**Emberka-2012: **Grace is naive and is still looking for the good in everyone which is partly why she decided to protect Shane from Daryl. She saw the regret in his eyes and knew he was drunk, and she's a little too lenient sometimes with giving people second chances but maybe she'll start to realize that she can't possibly make everyone good haha. Thanks for the review! Hope you like this chapter(:

**Aurora: **Thank you so much! And if Daryl woke up in my bed...well Lord have mercy on his soul ;) Grace is definitely way too innocent but I'm sure Daryl has a few things he can teach her haha. Thanks for the review(: Hope you enjoy this chapter!

**DestielJunkie: **Haha, I'm guessing you don't like Shane much? I didn't really like him either. He annoyed the hell out of me during the seasons. But unfortunately, I don't think I can get rid of him just yet haha. Thanks for the review(: I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Druid Archer: **I agree completely! Sexy Daryl is welcome anytime ;)

**Thanks to Melanie, SoFarFromPerfect90, and Halfemptyflask(I really kinda want Daryl to wreck her as well ;)) for their reviews as well. Hope you all enjoy the new chapter!**

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**Safe and Sound**

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**Chapter 7: Mine**

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Grace awoke early the next morning, disoriented as opened her eyes slowly. She felt something heavy and warm weighing down on her side and could feel the breath of someone blowing on the back of her neck. She was confused for a moment, but then suddenly, all the events of last night rushed into her mind. She remembered vividly how Shane had almost…almost violated her in his drunken fit of anger. She froze for a second, thinking this was Shane she was waking up next to. That she had imagined Daryl had come to the rescue as a way to cope with what was happening.

She turned over to glance at the person next to her and sighed in relief when she saw Daryl's sleeping face come into view. But then she was confused again. She didn't even remember falling asleep and now she was waking up next to Daryl. She remembered how she begged Daryl to stay with her due to fear, but she hadn't expected him to stay the night. But here he was, sleeping next to her.

Grace couldn't help but glance over his face. She had never caught sight of him in such a vulnerable position until now. She couldn't help but feel a smile brush onto her face as she looked over his calm face. He looked almost like an innocent boy, his face peaceful and his eyes shut softly. He wasn't frowning, he wasn't scowling, he wasn't smirking. He was just so calm and serene, and Grace almost didn't want this moment to end.

She watched his chest rise with every deep breath he took and the way his eyebrows pulled together as if he was in deep thought before stretching out into the same peaceful expression he had before. His arm was still wrapped around her small waist, probably something that happened unconsciously as they slept together on the same bed. She could feel tingles caressing her body on every amount of skin his arm had contact with.

The feeling was building up in her stomach. She remembered this feeling very well. It was the same feeling she had experienced when she had her first kiss. It was odd to think the man sleeping next to her was causing her to feel like this and she couldn't help but be confused. But she wanted nothing more than to touch him, feel his rough skin under her soft fingertips.

Grace bit her lip as she stared at Daryl before cautiously reaching out her free hand to slowly run her fingertips lightly against his skin. She traced his nose curiously before making her way down to his lips. They were as rough as she imagined and she couldn't help but touch her own lips to see if they felt the same way, but hers were a stark contrast to his roughness. Feeling even more curious now at how different this man was compared to her, she continued to run her fingertips down his neck and across the arm that was holding onto her.

Daryl, due his hunter instincts, woke easily to the feeling of something touching his neck and sliding across his arm. His eyes shot open in alarm and he flipped whatever was touching him over, pressing his body against them to gain dominance. The hands that had been touching him were grabbed and placed overhead as Daryl easily overpowered them.

Grace looked up at the man who was holding her similar to the way Shane had restricted her last night. However, this felt different, being in this position. She didn't feel like she was about to be hurt or violated. She didn't really know quite what she was feeling, but it definitely wasn't the same heart-wrenching fear she had felt last night.

Daryl, now having the advantage, took notice of Grace's face staring up at him, curiosity burning in her eyes. He was confused for a moment, and stared down at the girl as he remembered all of what happened last night. He quickly let go of her hands, remembering the way Shane had held her down, and instead placed them on the sides of her head.

Grace, who didn't know what to do with her arms, left them above her head. In throwing her under him, Daryl had unknowingly placed one of his legs in between her thighs and she could feel the heat from it. She felt her face burn as the man stared down at her, not speaking. Her cheeks lit up as though someone had slapped her them.

Daryl suddenly became aware of the way she was pressed against him. He could feel her inner thighs against his leg and her chest rose due to her breathing, pressing against his own. He could feel the heat from her body radiating off her as her cheeks turned red and she looked up at him with those big, blue innocent eyes. He glanced down her face, his eyes staring at the lips he had often found himself thinking about. He wanted to know what they tasted like, how soft they were, and how swollen and red he could make them. He bent his head down, the same hunger that had possessed him before, entering his body once again. He could feel her soft breath against his own lips, her body pressing against his and he was overwhelmed from the sensation.

Grace watched him as he dipped his head closer to hers, closing the distance between them. The wild hunger appearing in his eyes, much like it had when they were in his truck.

"Daryl?" She whispered her voice heavy from tiredness and confusion.

Daryl couldn't help but think how sexy she sounded, saying his name like that. He grabbed her chin lightly in his rough hand, careful not to rub against her bruise.

"What are yo-"She began but he quickly interrupted her.

"Shut up." He growled lowly.

Then he finally closed the distance between them and pressed his rough lips against hers firmly. She was as soft as he had imagined; her lips hot from the blush on her face. He was about to pull away when he felt her press back against him, arching her back to draw her lips closer to his. That was all the assurance he needed to get him going. With more hunger this time, he tightened his grip on her chin and kissed her deeper and harder, smothering her soft lips with his dry, rough ones. His other hand stayed against her head, helping him hold up his weight from her small body.

Her chest was pressed even harder against his body as she continued to arch her back. She felt tingles running up and down her spine as the man kissed her roughly. She felt her body shutter from the sensation and her bare thighs tense up against his leg.

Daryl released her mouth from his to take a quick breath and slid his hand under her neck to grab her long hair resting underneath it. He tugged at in, making throw her head back as she hissed at the light pain. The image turned him on more than he imagined and he quickly assaulted her neck, as it was now more exposed in this position.

He started with her mouth, kissing her roughly again as the hunger burned inside of him. This time, he ran his tongue across her bottom lip, eager to taste her. Grace, who had never been French kissed before, didn't know what to do. He sensed her innocence and instead of forcing his tongue in her mouth, he bit down on her lip, causing the girl to release a little moan. The sound only increased the fire burning in his lower stomach. He let out a growl as he released her mouth and slid his mouth down her chin, kissing every inch of skin on his way down.

He made it to the sensitive side of her neck and eagerly tasted the skin there, sucking on it as her skin turned red from his touch. He bit down on her flesh, not enough to break the skin, but enough to fully claim her as his. The girl was responding to every one of his touches, throwing her head back and arching her back as he continued to suck and bite on her neck, marking his territory.

"Daryl." She groaned her voice as light as a feather.

Grace could hear the pleasure in her own voice. Her body was responding to the man's touches with a mind of its own. His chest pressed against hers, his fingers laced in her hair, tugging on the blonde strands, his mouth sucking on the sensitive skin of her neck, and his warm breath heating up her skin. Her veins felt as though the blood running through them had turned into fire as his rough lips attached to her soft skin. Her own pleasure was confusing her but she didn't have time to think about it as his rough lips moved their way back up to her own.

She raised one of her arms, placing her hand on the back of his neck. She felt the hand that was tugging on her hair, reach back and grab her small hand. He gripped it and removed it from his neck, slamming it above her head again where her other hand lay. This time he held her hands there and she remained submissive, letting him dominate her. Daryl continued his assault on her lips, relinquishing in the soft feel of their fullness. The hunger continued to pile up in his stomach, causing him to be even rougher with the delicate girl, pressing her hands onto the pillow above her and deepening the kiss.

He felt her body shutter against his, her thighs still tight against his leg, driving his mind crazy.

"Breakfast is ready!" A cheerful voice, sounding suspiciously like Dale echoed through the hallway outside the door.

Daryl broke away from the girl as he regained his senses. Grace stared up at him, her eyes heavy with want and desire, but she still looked unsure as if she didn't know where these feelings where coming from. Daryl suddenly remembered that she was only eighteen and a preacher's daughter. He pulled himself away from the girl, who was more innocent then any girl he had ever touched in his life. He placed his feet on the floor and stood up slowly as she rose onto her elbows.

Her curly hair was a mess from being pulled, her lips swollen and bright red from the attention Daryl had given them and a small spot on the side of her neck was red from his assault there. Her eyes were still heavy as she looked at him in confusion. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to get control of his breathing as he slipped his shoes on. He knew how it would look if they walked out of her room together, especially with her looking like that. He knew he had to get out before anyone could see him leaving but looking at her lying on the bed like that was driving him wild inside. He fought himself for the control to turn away from her and began walking towards the door.

"Daryl?" He heard her say, her voice full of confusion.

The sound of her voice almost pulled the man back but he shook his head and left the room, leaving the girl to fall back on the bed, confusing eating away at her mind.

* * *

Grace sat at the table, heartily eating breakfast as those who were drunk last night, basked in their miseries and felt nauseous at the slight glance of food. It seemed as though her dad had been right all those years when he encouraged her to stay away from alcohol. Glenn looked beyond tired, his face slightly pale. He picked at his eggs lightly, not seeming to want to eat them in fear that they might come back up.

"Remind me to never drink again." Glenn mumbled as he held his head in his hands.

T-dog, who was surprisingly somewhat normal, put some more eggs on the boy's plate, "Eat up. It'll make you feel better."

Glenn looked down at the plate and looked like he wanted to do anything but eat. Grace giggled at his face and he looked at her with a biting glare that made her giggle even more. Daryl stayed silent in his seat, looking over the pair hard eyes. Grace met his gaze and was instantly reminded of the morning's events. Her cheeks redden and she quickly went back to eating her breakfast. Glenn, noticed the exchange and looked at the curiously.

"You know, I don't remember a lot from last night. But I do remember you two getting nasty on the pool table." He said.

Grace nearly choked to death on the eggs she had just swallowed as her face flamed up from the embarrassment. T-dog spit his drink out, landing it all over his own food and Dale's food, who looked quite upset about that. Daryl had remained silent as always, but his eyes narrowed at the Asian boy.

"Who was getting nasty on the pool table?" Rick asked, rubbing his eyes as he walked into the room looking incredibly hung over. He fell into a seat next to Carl, who looked confused, not understanding Glenn's implication.

"Daryl and Grace." Glenn said and Grace saw him send a small smirk her way.

"What?!" Rick exclaimed.

"Nothing happened!" Grace said her face still red.

"That's not what I saw." Glenn sung.

She crossed her arms. When did he suddenly become so cheerful when he was on the brink of throwing up just minutes ago?

"What you _saw_ was Daryl trying to teach me how to play pool since you were such a lousy teacher."

"Hey! I am not a lousy teacher!" Glenn said, crossing his own arms as well.

"Yes you are!" Grace said, glaring at the boy.

"Am not!" Glenn argued, sounding like a child.

"You are." Grace argued back, acting just as childish.

"Guys, shut the hell up." T-dog huffed, holding his head in his hands.

"Wait, so Grace and Daryl didn't get nasty on the pool table?" Carl asked, innocently, still not understanding what Glenn had meant by nasty.

Lori looked at her son in shock and then glared at Glenn, "Look what you're teaching him!"

Glenn guiltily looked at her while Grace slammed her head down into her arms on the table.

"Nothing happened!" She hissed in annoyance.

She wanted to know why Daryl had refused to say anything. It seemed as though she was taking all the heat. But when she looked up at him, he just looked at her with some amusement in his eyes. She almost threw her plate of eggs at him, but took a calm breath and instead focused her glare on Glenn who had started all of this.

"Come to think of it," T-dog piped up, "I think I remember seeing Daryl in Grace's room last night."

If it was even possible, Grace's face turned even redder. It was Rick's turn to choke on his food this time, as he looked at the pair in shock and disbelief and Dale took his turn to spit out orange juice all over the new eggs T-dog had brought out for himself. Lori looked more amused as she assumed that T-dog and Glenn were just messing with the pair.

"You know, Sophia came into my room last night and we told ghost stories to each other." Carl said, "Is that what you guys did?"

"No. I just needed some…help. And Daryl was passing by." She said, covering her embarrassed face with her hands, "Nothing happened. T-dog and Glenn are just being dunder heads, Carl."

Carl giggled at her insult while the mentioned pair glared at her.

"I am not a dunder head!" Glenn exclaimed at the same time T-dog did, who said the same thing.

"Would all of ya'll shut the hell up?" Daryl said, finally contributing to the conversation, "I'm tryin' to eat here."

"I second that motion." Rick said, lazily, "I am way too hung over to play cop right now."

"Mom said you would be hung over." Carl said, staring up at his dad.

"Your mom was right." Rick replied, smiling at his son.

Shane took his entrance at that time, and the mood in the room suddenly darkened as everybody took note of his face. He had scratch marks on his neck, which Grace knew didn't come from her or Daryl, and the left side of his jaw had a nasty bruise. He looked incredibly worn and tired. He eyes cast down as he entered the room.

"What the hell happened to you?" T-dog asked, voicing the question the whole group had floating in their mind except three people. Lori frowned, wondering where the bruise came though.

Shane's eyes fluttered to Lori before looking at Grace once. Grace avoided his gaze and instead looked towards Daryl, who suddenly looked pissed. She saw him begin to open his mouth to say something, but caught his gaze and shook her head no. He shut his mouth, and narrowed his eyes at the girl, wondering why she refused to tell the group what had happened last night.

"Must've done it in my sleep." Shane muttered, "Scratched myself and rolled over and hit my jaw on the bedside table."

"Never seen you do that before." Rick said, looking at his friend closely.

Grace still avoided looking at the man, and continued to focus all her attention on Daryl. He sat stoically, staring at her with confusion mixed into his hard gaze. Glenn, unknowingly to the pair, caught their interaction, and looked at them curiously. It seemed a little weird to the Asian boy that T-dog had mentioned something about Daryl being in Grace's room, and her response being that she needed help. And then Shane walks in with some bruises and scratches, and she and Daryl share this quiet conversation. It seemed very weird to the boy and he planned on asking Grace about it later.

"Yeah." Shane agreed, glancing at Lori once more, "Not like me at all."

The conversation died after Shane's entrance and Grace went back to eating her food, feeling a bit uneasy with his presence in the room. She glanced over to Daryl every now and then who watched both Shane and her like a hawk. Daryl's presence made her feel better and she began to relax a bit more and enjoy her breakfast.

Jenner entered the room shortly after and escorted the group to the control center. Grace followed Glenn out of the room, still a little upset with him for mentioning the thing about her and Daryl to the whole group. The boy looked back at her, questions burning in his eyes. He slowed down his pace to match hers and they allowed the whole group to pass them, following up in the back. He grabbed her arm lightly to get her to stop and she looked at him questioningly.

"Grace, what really happened between you and Daryl last night?" The boy whispered.

Grace thought back to the events of an hour ago and touched her lips lightly as she remembered the sensation of Daryl's rough lips pressed into hers. She could feel his body covering her, holding her at his mercy as he assaulted every inch of her sensitive skin. Her cheeks flamed at the thoughts but she focused on the boy in front of him.

"It was like I said." She explained, "I needed some help and he happened to be walking by."

"Does this help have anything to do with Shane's face?" The boy asked, "I know he didn't get that shiner from rolling over onto a bedside table."

Grace glanced down at her hands. She didn't want to remember how Shane had almost violated her last night. If anything, she wanted to go take a shower to scrub away the dirty feelings she had every time she thought about it. It was obvious that Daryl wanted to tell the group what had happened, but Grace was adamant about keeping it a secret. She knew Shane wasn't a bad guy, and she knew how much he was hurting. She wasn't sure why he was hurting so bad, but something was eating away at his soul. He had attacked her last night in a drunken rage, but after coming to his senses; she could see the regret in his eyes after he apologized to her. She wouldn't accept his apologies but she wasn't going to tell the group what had happened. He made a mistake, she knew that and she knew that he knew that. She wasn't about to let him be kicked out of the group and possibly left for dead because of that. She figured this was just another one of God's tests on her faith and she wouldn't let him down.

"Don't worry about it, Glenn." Grace whispered and began to walk away but the boy grabbed her arm again, keeping her still.

"Look Grace, I won't tell anyone, I promise." He pleaded, "Just tell me what happened. I'm not stupid and I'm not going to believe Shane's lies. Something happened last night that you're keeping from me."

Grace sighed as she looked into his begging eyes. Glenn had been nothing but friendly to her since she arrived at camp and now they were as close as ever. She had no reason to distrust him and as she looked into his eyes, she couldn't help but feel guilty. He deserved to know the truth, she knew that. She bit her lip as she tried to make her decision.

"Shane…"She started, but stopped to try to word it the best she could, "Shane had a lapse in judgment last night. He made a mistake, ok? And Daryl just happened to be there to help set him on the right path again."

"What do you mean a lapse in judgment?" Glenn asked, narrowing his eyes in confusion when all of a sudden, everything fit together. T-dog mentioning that Daryl was in her room, the bruises on Shane's face, Grace saying Shane made a mistake. It all made sense.

"Wait, wait, wait a second." Glenn said, shaking his head, he didn't want to believe his assumptions were true, "Are you trying to tell me that Shane…Shane tried to force himself on you?!"

Grace looked down again; suddenly unable look him in the eyes. She heard the boy hiss in anger as he realized he was right. He began to storm towards the group but she grabbed his arm tightly, just as he did to stop her from leaving. He glanced down at her.

"You have to tell Rick, Grace!" He whispered harshly, "He can't get off with doing something like that!"

"Glenn, you promised you wouldn't say anything if I told you!" She hissed back, "Daryl took care of it. It's done with and I don't want the group finding out. Please!"

Glenn froze at the girl's words but still looked angry, "Why don't you want to tell them? Why are you protecting him?"

She dropped her hand from his arms, "Because it was a mistake, ok. He regrets it. It's done with. It's over. Why beat a dead horse when you can just bury it and leave it in peace?"

Glenn shook his head, "I don't understand you, Grace. You can't protect everyone and you can't make everyone good and nice, no matter how much you try. You're only going to get yourself hurt. This-this isn't right, Grace. They group should at least know what happened. You can't keep this from them."

"Glenn, please." She begged, "Just forget about it."

Glenn sighed, "Fine, I won't say anything. But I will not forget about this."

He stalked away from her and she knew he was upset with her but she knew keeping it a secret was the right thing. Shane could still go back to being a good man if he wanted to. Grace fully believed you had the choice in life to be good. He just had to get back to God's path for him and not let his evil and sin take him over. Shane still had a chance. But it was still only a chance. And sometimes, chances get blown away, like dust in the wind.

Grace walked up to the group, noticing the look Daryl sent her, notifying her that he had noticed the talk her and Glenn had. Everyone else in the group didn't seem to notice or care and she felt a bit relieved. She could hear Jenner shouting commands at Vi.

"Vi, run surveillance videos for test subject nineteen," Jenner announced loudly.

She watched as the brain scans of "Test Subject 19" were displayed on the large screen. He told them how this subjected had been infected and had allowed them to record the process. She watched as the person slowly died all brain activity seizing.

He yelled out to Vi to fast-forward to the second event, which shows a small part of the subject's brain coming back to life.

"It restarts the brain?" Lori asked as they all looked on with morbid curiosity.

"Just the brainstem." Jenner said lowly, "The human part, that doesn't come back."

Grace felt dread creeping up her stomach as she processed his words. Jenner went on to tell the group how he had never seen anything like this and how he couldn't find a way to even try to cure it. When he mentioned how he lost contact with other facilities, Grace felt a little woozy. It was so much information to take in and her hope for the world was dwindling.

"Doctor, I know this has been taxing for you, and I hate to ask another question" Dale said, "That clock. It's counting down. What happens at zero?"

"The basement generators, they run out of fuel." He explained.

"And then?" Rick asked with urgency.

Jenner suddenly stood up and walked out of the room to go to his office. Grace watched him leave in confusion.

"Vi, what happens when the power runs out?" Rick asked his whole body tense with anticipation.

"When the power runs out, facility-wide decontamination will occur."

This sent the group into frenzy. Rick, Shane, T-dog and Glenn all ran downstairs to inspect the generators while the air suddenly shut off.

"What's goin' on?" Daryl asked, "Why's everythin' shuttin' off?"

Jenner walked back into the room, "Energy use is being prioritized."

"And air ain't a priority?" Daryl asked, "And lights?"

Jenner took a swing from the bottle in his hands and Grace glanced at him, unsure.

"It isn't up to me." He said, "Zone 5 is shutting itself down."

Jenner walked away again, pissing off Daryl who wasn't done talking to him.

"Hey!" He yelled to get his attention, "What the hell does that mean?"

Jenner still didn't answer him.

"Hey! I'm talkin' to ya'!" Daryl said, agitated, "What do ya' mean it's shuttin' itself down? How can a building do anythin'?

"You'd be surprised." Jenner mumbled.

When the clock hit thirty minutes, the man muttered something about it being right on time as he took another swing from the bottle.

"It was the French." Jenner said, suddenly, confusing Grace, "They were the last ones to hold out as far as, I know. While our people were bolting out the doors and committing suicide in the hallways, they stayed in their labs till the end. They thought they were close to a solution."

"What happened?" Jacqui asked.

"Same thing that's happening here. No power grid, ran out of juice. The world runs on fossil fuels. I mean, how stupid is that?"

The group that had gone downstairs entered the room, looking frightful and angry.

"Everyone, go get your stuff. We're getting out of here. NOW!" Rick yelled with urgency.

The door to upstairs suddenly shut, the noise making Grace jump. The men ran over to the door and tried beating on it, trying to get it open. Grace felt her heart sink into her chest as she realized what the man was doing. He was trapping them all in here…to die. She looked towards Carol, who was holding Sophia to her chest as she looked frightened.

"There's no point in struggling." Jenner said, looking way too calm for Grace's liking, "Everything topside is automatically locked down. When the building runs out of power, it will self-destruct. This place was designed to keep any organisms from getting out. In the case of a terrorist attack for example, HITs are deployed to prevent anything from getting out."

"And you're just going to lock us in here?" Grace looked to the man, eyes wide with fright, "To die? What is the point of that? This…This is going against God's will. All you're doing is sending us on a path straight to hell!"

"It's easier this way." The man muttered.

"HITs?" Rick asked and Vi provided him with an answer.

"HITs: High Impulse Thermobaric fuel explosives."

Grace felt her legs collapse from underneath her as she watched T-dog and Daryl run off to pound away at the door with axes. Looking at the metal, she knew there was no way out. Jenner was really locking them in here to die. She grabbed at her cross necklace and closed her eyes as she prayed for God to have mercy on their trapped souls.

She sat like that for awhile as she watched everyone screaming in fright around her. The children were crying, the men angry, and the women frightened and clinging to their children. All Grace could do was sit there and watch. She felt like she was dreaming. Maybe she would wake up and it would all be over. She shut her eyes tightly, but when she opened them, she was met with the same scene. She thought of everything important that's ever happened in her life. The first time she rode a bike, buying her dog, learning how to shoot a gun with her father, all those times in Church, getting her first boyfriend, going to her Senior Homecoming, becoming friends with Glenn…the last thing to pop up in her mind was Daryl. She thought back to this morning. The way he had kissed her and the way it made her feel. With sudden conviction, she stood up.

Grace cautiously walked up to Daryl as he pounded away at the door with the axe. If she was going to die here, there was just one question she needed to hear an answer to before it all ended.

"Daryl." She called out, hesitantly, not getting to close to the man who was swinging away at the door.

He whirled around to stare at her, his eyes wild like an animal.

"What do ya' want?" He hissed.

It was clear that he was frustrated, angry and probably scared like all the rest of them.

"I just-Why did you kiss me?" She suddenly blurted out. She was tired, upset, scared and she just wanted an answer. She was done trying to play around the bush when it would all end soon. She just needed to hear this answer right now.

"Look girl, I'm busy here." He grunted, turning back around, "Ya' can ask me yer stupid questions later."

"There isn't a later!" She suddenly said, her voice louder with urgency, "Daryl, please just answer. I just need to know before…before-"

She couldn't even finish the sentence as she stared down at her hands.

Suddenly the door Daryl had been banging on opened. Grace stared at it in shock, not believing it to be true. She heard Rick yell something and saw his family, Glenn, Shane and T-dog rush pass it. Daryl turned around to her and before she could even say anything, he grabbed her chin in his hand and roughly pressed his lips hard against her soft ones. Her mind lost connection to the world around her for a moment, only focusing on the feeling of his dry, rough lips against her. She didn't know how long he kissed her for, but he pulled away all too soon, his face hovering above hers slightly.

"I kissed ya' cause I wanted to." He whispered and she felt his breath run across her lips, "Now let's get that fuck outta' here."

She didn't turn back around as he grabbed onto her hand and pulled her from the room to meet the rest of the group. She watched absent-mindedly as Carol handed something to Rick and he yelled at them to get down. She felt Daryl placed his body over hers and cover her ears with his calloused hands. She could hear the boom from the explosion and Daryl pulled her to her feet, dragging her behind him as they escaped from the blown up window. They ran further and further from the building and Rick yelled at everyone to get into the cars and duck for cover. Daryl raced them to his truck. It was farther than the other cars and they weren't going to make it in time to get into the car. Instead, Daryl yelled at her to get into the bed of it, next to Merle's motorcycle. She tried to jump in as fast as she could and she felt Daryl's hands on her waist, helping her up. She ducked down as he jumped in and laid his body over hers, like he had just a few moments again. He enclosed her small frame easily, wrapping his muscular arms around her waist tightly, protecting as much of her body as he possibly could.

She jumped in fright as she heard the large booming explosion. Although they were far away, she could still feel the heat from the fire brush over her skin, only to be cooled down by the surrounding air.

They stayed huddled in the back of the truck for a moment, waiting for it to be over. She could feel tears build up in her eyes as she thought about the poor doctor.

It was finally over after what seemed like eternity. Daryl got up from on top of her and hopped out of the truck. Grace followed his lead. Rick called out to them from his caravan.

"Is everyone okay back there?"

"Just peachy." Daryl responded to the man.

Grace looked at everyone. She saw Dale and Andrea huddled further from the cars, but they seemed to be just fine. She saw Glenn, Carol, Sophia, Lori, T-dog, and Carl. She frowned as she realized they were missing one person.

"Jacqui." She said out loud, "Where's Jacqui?"

The rest of the group glanced back at her, their faces somber. She swallowed hard as she realized Jacqui had stayed with the doctor. Tears welled up in her eyes. She had been too busy kissing Daryl to even know Jacqui, kind and patient Jacqui with the beautiful smile and deep soulful eyes, had decided to commit suicide. She was suddenly angry with herself. She could've maybe helped convince the woman to go…she could've saved her maybe. Glenn's words about her need to protect everyone popped back up into her mind, but she ignored them. She could've helped…she could've help.

"Stop that." Daryl hissed from next to her, "Stop that right now. That woman made her decision. Nothin' ya' could've said about yer God or anythin' would've helped her. Now dry up them tears, right now."

His harsh tone instantly straightened her out and she nodded a little, wiping the tears with the back of her hand. She still couldn't help but feel sad and upset, especially with herself. But she would hold that in for now. She wanted the group to stop looking at her like she was so fragile and Daryl was right, she needed to stop crying and whining all the time.

"If everyone's okay, let's hit the road." Shane said, "Noise is going to attract the geeks, we can't stay here for long."

Rick nodded his agreement and everyone piled back into the cars and quickly left the city. Grace glanced in the side view mirror of Daryl's truck, watching the CDC disappear from her sight as they moved farther and farther away.

"God, bless the soul's of Jacqui and Jenner." She muttered under her breath so Daryl couldn't hear, "They were weak and lost sight of your love. Please accept them with wide arms, as I know they deserve to be among those graced with your approval and love. Amen."

* * *

It was awhile later when Daryl's truck started sputtering and jerking. Grace, who had fallen asleep against the side of the door, was awoken when she smashed her head against the window when the truck came to a stop.

"Knew this damn thing was a piece of crap." She heard Daryl mutter under his breath. He honked the horn and the three cars in front of him came to a stop.

"Get up, Grace." He said to her, "Truck's down. Gotta' switch to Merle's bike I suppose."

Grace got out of the car, still tired and not fully awake from her nap. Rick and Dale walked up to the pair.

"What happened?" Rick asked, looking at them.

"Truck's down." Daryl answered, "Things a piece of crap. I have Merle's bike still and I ain't leavin' that behind."

Rick nodded, "Take the bike then."

Dale looked to the blonde girl, noting her tired expression.

"Grace, do you want to come in the RV?" He asked, "We, uh, we have room now."

She glanced at the RV. She knew Andrea was sitting in their depressed as hell. Daryl had filled her in with Andrea and Dale's story. With everything that happened, she didn't know if she wanted to be stuck in an RV with her. She liked Andrea, a lot. But she didn't think she'd be able to handle any more depression and sadness for the day. But looking back at the bike, she didn't know if she wanted to get on that thing either. And she definitely would not be riding with Shane. She bit her lip as she decided what to do, but Daryl's voice interrupted her thinking.

"She can ride with me." He answered for the girl, "She'll be just fine."

Rick nodded, trusting Daryl with the girl's safety. But Dale was a little more hesitant, staring at the pair curiously. Finally, he nodded, giving his approval. Rick helped Daryl removed the bike from the truck and Dale took their things into the RV. With the bike down, Rick went back to his family.

"Are you sure you want to ride that thing?" Dale asked the girl once more.

She looked at him for a moment, before nodded.

"Yeah. I'll be fine." She said.

Dale still looked a little unsure and looked at the pair warily.

"Look, the girl gave ya' her answer." Daryl grunted, "Now let's get this show on the road."

Dale finally nodded and went back to the RV as Daryl slid onto his brother's bike.

"Come on." He said, looking at the girl.

Grace felt her stomach drop as she got on the back of Merle's motorcycle and scooted up towards Daryl. She hesitantly placed her hands on his shoulders and their contact instantly reminded her of what happened back at the CDC. She felt another blush warm its way onto her face and Daryl turned around to glance at her.

"Yer gonna' wanna' hold on tighter than that, baby girl." He smirked, loving the way he seemed to have such an effort on her as he watched her cheeks grow redder.

She nodded at him, biting her lip, before looping her arms around his waist. The action made her move closer to Daryl's body and he could feel her pressed against his back. The contact shot tingles down Grace's spine and she had to prevent herself from shuttering from the feeling.

"Ya' ready for this?" Daryl asked.

He felt Grace press her head against the middle of her shoulder blades and nod her head yes. He revved his brother's motorcycle before shooting off. He felt the girl gasp in surprise and wrap her arms around him tighter for a moment. However, the force of the wind pushed her back and loosened her grip. She had been too far away from him when he had taken off and with the pressure of the air and wind, she couldn't scoot closer now. She felt fear shoot through her veins and she realized she was going to slip off the backside of the motorcycle. She grabbed his shirt in her fists, but it did little to help.

Daryl felt her grip loosen and narrowed his eyebrows in confusion. He felt her slide back a little and then grip his shirt. Her grip caused his shirt to stretch and he realized that the girl was being forced back by the wind. He rolled his eyes in annoyance. She wasn't ready to sit on the back of the motorcycle. Too weak, frigid and scared. He pulled the bike to a stop and shut off the engine.

Grace let go of him in confusion and relief.

"Get off." He muttered to her and she felt even more confused, not moving at all.

"What?" She asked.

"I said get off." He said louder and she nodded at him and moved off the bike. For a second, she thought he was going to leave without her, start up the bike again and ride off. She looked forward to see the RV and caravan hadn't even noticed them stopped. If he did choose to leave, she wouldn't be taken in by either of them and would really be left here to die.

Daryl slid himself down the seat to where the girl had just been sitting and looked at her.

"Get on." He said.

Grace looked at him still confused.

"You want me to drive that thing?" She asked, incredulously.

Daryl looked at her as if she was stupid, "Are ya' crazy? No way in hell. Just get on."

She looked at him, still unsure but swung her leg around the side to sit on the bike in front of him. He scooted closer to her and put a hand on her lower back to push her closer to the handlebars.

"Now grab on ta' them handlebars." He whispered in her ear, his hot breath making her blush.

She nodded her head and had to lean over a bit to reach them.

"Now don't go touchin' nothin', ok?" He grunted into her ear, "Just hold on."

She nodded again to show him she understood. He scooted closer to her and his heavy body leaned over her to grab onto the handlebars next to her hands. Her small body fit perfectly in between his arms. She felt the top of her head rub against his jaw as he got closer to get his grip on the handlebars more firm. Her body started to heat up from the contact as she thought back to the events of this morning.

Daryl leaned his head down, releasing one hand from the bars to brush her hair away from the side of her face. He pressed his lips to the light bruise that was beginning to form where he had been sucking and biting her this morning. The girl tilted her head to the side, allowing him better access to her neck and her eyes shut as she felt the familiar tingling sensation running through her body. He moved his lips up to her ear, running his teeth over her small lobe. He felt the girl's body shuttered against him and smirked at his effect.

"Ready now, baby girl?" He hissed into her ear.

Grace, who couldn't figure out how to use her mouth properly as Daryl invaded her senses, nodded her head numbly at his words. He moved his head back to see the road, but leaned closer to her this time as she pressed herself in between his legs. He revved the engine again and shot off, having to go faster this time to catch up with the RV. Grace was pressed even harder against his body, that didn't even move as her weight had no effect on him.

Grace let herself relax and began to enjoy the ride, feeling perfectly safe in Daryl's strong arms.

* * *

**Author's Note: I was originally going to wait until chapter 10 for the magnificent first kiss for Daryl and Grace, but with the opportunity of her waking up next to him in bed, I couldn't resist ;) I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Leave a review and tell me what you think! I really love hearing your feedback and it really helps me keep writing! Have a nice day, or evening, or whatever time it is where you live(: Until next time, darlings!**


	8. Last Kiss

***So this chapter is super long, I know haha. I was trying to find a place to maybe cut it to separate it into two chapters, but it didn't seem right to cut it down and make it into two parts since every event that happens feeds off other events. So bare with this long chapter, please. Haha 3**

**Peperina: **Yes, I'm dreading the moment when they start to question their feelings as well :* haha Moody Daryl isn't that fun to write XD Thanks for the review, as always! Hope you like this chapter as well!

**Snemes:** AHHH, thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying the story! Thanks for the review and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well (:

**sarabear91: **You're so sweet, thank you! 3 I'm glad you like the story so far and I hope you like this chapter as well (:

**Velvetemr73: **Yes yes, I agree. It will be a very fun journey to see how Grace develops. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well! (:

**Mena in the Garden: **Thanks for bringing the shutter thing to my attention haha. I fixed it in this chapter. Most of my editing is done at like one in the morning. Like right now haha. So sometimes I miss a few things or whatever when I read over it haha. And Grace liked the way he talked to her because she's so use to being treated like a child, and Daryl was the first person who honestly didn't give a fuck about being nice to her. AND DARYL'S ARMS ARE SO HOT haha. I kinda want to follow some of the original plot line, but there will be a few changes to it and everything with Grace added in of course. But the basic plot will still be there until Season 2 is over. Thanks for the reviews and reading! Hope you enjoy this chapter as well (:

**Also a huge thanks to Emberka-2012, domodepp, Melanie, Silver, Sarah, and the two guests who left reviews but I don't know your names! Thanks for the support and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!**

* * *

**Safe and Sound**

* * *

**Chapter 8: Last Kiss**

* * *

Dale's RV pulled to a stop as he realized there might not be a way of passing through the cars. Glenn, who was sitting in the front seat, groaned as he looked out of the window. He pulled up the map in his hands and studied it for a moment. He noted another road they could take to bypass the mess here, but when he mentioned it to the older man, Dale had just told him they didn't have enough fuel.

Daryl's motorcycle pulled up to the window next to Dale. Glenn glanced around the man to see Grace, sitting on the front of the bike, with Daryl's arms wrapped around her to control it. Glenn looked at the girl curiously, as she hid her face from their view. He could imagine the red blush probably coating her face right now. He smiled to himself as if he had just discovered a pot full of gold. He knew something was going on between the pair and his suspicion only grew as he noticed the girl's behavior.

"Look for any clearance." Dale said to the rough man who was staring up at him.

Daryl nodded his head. He didn't like taking orders from anyone but he wanted to get out of here just as much as anyone else did. He could tell Grace was getting tired of sitting on the bike as she nestled around every few seconds while he stalled next to the RV. It was driving him nuts.

"Stop movin' around." He hissed in her ear as he made a U-turn and began to weave in and out of the cars.

The girl moved once more, relaxing her body against his before freezing in her spot.

They didn't get very far because Dale's RV had broken down again, causing Carol's caravan to stop. Steam was blowing from the front and Dale pounded down angrily on the steering wheel. He knew it would eventually come to this, he had been telling the group all along. They were just lucky it had stopped now, when it seemed none of the walkers were around.

"I said it, didn't I say it?" Dale said, stepping out of the RV as the group migrated around it, "A thousand times. Dead in the water."

Daryl parked his brother's bike near the RV and slid back so Grace could get off the bike. She was a little stiff in her movements from sitting so long, and her legs ached as she stood up. She stretched her back out a little and pulled her hair across her shoulder to cover the bruise that had formed on her neck thanks to the older man behind her. She blushed at the thought and quickly shook her head to rid of them as Daryl got off the bike and began to walk up to the group. Grace followed after him closely.

Suddenly, she felt something barrel into her and wrap itself around her body. Through her thick mass of curly blonde hair, she noticed that it was Glenn who had ran to her and nearly knocked her over. She felt confused as to why he was hugging her, but she hugged him back nonetheless.

"Grace!" The boy chortled happily in her ear, "I thought we were going to die and I would never get to see my best friend anymore!"

Grace giggled at his dramatics and pushed him away.

"You're crazy, Glenn." She said, "And I thought you were mad at me."

"Almost dying can really change a person." Glenn said, "Besides, I could never be mad at my Gracey-poo."

Grace's eyes narrowed at his new nickname for her and she bit back with, "Whatever you say, Glenny-kins."

"I do say so, Gracey-pacey-made-of-lacey pie." He replied.

"I'm glad you say so, Glenny-wenny-big-fat-henny pie."

"Well I'm glad that you're glad, Gracey-lacey-covered-in-pasties."

"Yeah? Well I'm glad-"

"Would you two knock that shit off?" Shane grunted at them, "You guys act like children more than Carl and Sophia."

Grace and Glenn instantly shut up.

"Jesus Christ." T-dog muttered under his breath.

"Hey, don't use the Lord's name in vain!" Grace chided him.

"Whatever you say, choir girl." T-dog mocked.

Grace crossed her arms and glared at him.

"Don't upset the preacher's daughter." Glenn joked, "She turns wild when she's mad."

"What kind of wild?" T-dog asked, playing along with Glenn.

"You know what I'm talking about." Glenn said, winking at Grace.

She felt her face heat up and her cheeks turned red as the two men laughed at her. She huffed a little and walked away from them, a bit irritated. She walked up to Daryl's side and he glanced at her pout for a second, before looking passed her to see the two men still laughing at her, even harder now as she threw her little fit and stormed away.

"What's up yer ass?" Daryl said, roughly.

Her face turned redder at this comment, and she narrowed her eyes.

"Nothing."

"Don't seem like nothin'" He said, looking at the pair laughing at her still.

The girl just continued to pout and leaned against the car he was searching through. He rolled his eyes in annoyance at her behavior and glanced back to make sure no one was paying attention to them. Shane and Rick were talking to Dale, Andrea standing with her back turned to them, and the other women were watching over the children. The pair laughing was sharing some other jokes with each other as they walked back to the group by the RV. Assured that no one was looking, Daryl hooked his finger in one of the belt loops of her jean shorts and pulled her close to him. She let him yank her in place.

"Best wipe that lil' pout off yer face." He hissed into her ear.

He placed his hand on the back of her neck, and dragged her into a rough, deep kiss. Her soft lips were hot against his own as he kissed her with such ferocity that Grace felt her knees weaken at his touch. Her arms hung loosely at her sides as she couldn't even remember how to function them as he invaded her lips. She felt his rough calloused hand grasping onto the smooth skin of the back of her neck, as heat continued to rise through her body. His other hand was placed on her hip, his finger still looped through her shorts. He deepened the kiss further, biting on her bottom lip before pulling away from the innocent girl. She felt her hand rise to her lips, feeling the area he had just claimed as his, as she felt the familiar tingles running through her body.

Daryl let go of her and went back to searching through the car. Her eyebrows pulled together in confusion as she realized she had no idea where her all these feelings were coming from. It was more than she had ever experienced, even with her previous boyfriends. They had never been as rough with her as Daryl had been, never kissing her so deeply, or treating her the same rough way Daryl did. Everything about him was so different than anything she had experience. He was everything her dad had always warned her to stay away from. But his touches were intoxicating and Grace couldn't help but want nothing more than to be touched by his calloused hands and his rough lips. Her feelings made her feel a little embarrassed and her inexperience made her feel so nervous, but as soon as he touched her, she couldn't even remember those feelings. All she could do was give in to his touches.

Her cheeks turned red at her own thoughts as she noticed the group from the RV begin to move around and head off towards different cars.

"This place is a graveyard." She heard Lori say, "I don't know how I feel about this."

When no one took notice of her concerns, she turned to the young girl, assuming she would side with her on this issue.

"Grace, you must feel the same."

Rick, Daryl, Dale and Lori all stared at her, awaiting her answer. She bit her lip in conflict. She knew the group needed supplies desperately, but she couldn't help but feel Lori's concerns. The woman was right; this was a graveyard after all. She didn't know how she felt about stealing from the dead. She stayed silent for a few moments before making her decision.

"I think it was part of God's plan that we ended up here. This is a graveyard, you're right. All these souls need to be blessed so they can move on to be with God and it's never right to steal from the dead, but I don't think God would have lead us here if it wasn't our purpose to gather supplies to stay alive." She said, "We take what is necessary with the upmost respect and move on, I think."

Rick nodded at her, approving her answer. Lori stared at her for a moment before nodding her head as well, realizing just how much the group needed this. Rick set off for digging in some nearby cars, while Lori, Carol and the children walked off to some more cars to see what other supplies they could gather. Dale went back to looking over his RV to see what he needed to repair and Andrea went back inside the big motor vehicle. She avoided Daryl's eyes, knowing he didn't like when she preached about God, as she walked away to another car. She figured she could help them look for things. She saw Glenn messing around with a car ahead and walked over by him. She noticed an empty car and went to that one first. She didn't want to be around the dead.

She opened the trunk and noticed three suitcases. She opened the biggest one first. It was full of men's clothing and nothing that seemed very important. She moved on to the next suitcase, again filled with clothing and shut it as well. The last suitcase had a few things that could be useful. There were feminine products that she felt would come in handy when a certain time of the month swung around, there was a bottle of toothpaste, but they had stocked up on that pretty well back in Atlanta, there was a hairbrush that was useless, some shaving razors that Grace took greedily, a bottle of Advil, some make-up, and a tiny jewelry box. She left most of it behind, just taking the stuff she thought they would need.

She moved onto the next car and paused for a second, recognizing the sticker on the back of the car. It was one of those stickers the local government building had been handing out that said "Vote John Taylor for Mayor". John Taylor had been the major of their small city for a few years now. She bit her lip, wondering who this car belonged to. It had seemed that they had tried to escape the town as she did. They obviously didn't make it very far.

With a sick feeling in her stomach, she slowly walked up the car. She was hoping it was empty like the last car but couldn't shake the bad feeling piling up in her throat. The driver's side door was open and no one was in the driver's seat or the passenger's seat. But she saw a figure in the backseat on the opposite side of the car. She hesitantly walked over to that side of the car. Her breath got caught in her throat when she saw a pile of redhead on the figure. Her fingertips brushed the car door's handle and it took her a moment to convince herself to open the door. The moment the door was released, the body fell out of the car, pushing Grace to the floor as it rolled on top of her. She let out a tiny scream in fright as she wriggled out from under it. But it remained frozen as she placed a hand over her heart, calming herself down.

Daryl, who had heard the girl's little scream, rushed over to her, assuming something had attacked her. When he saw her sitting on the floor, a walker resting next to her, he lifted his crossbow, aiming for the thing. She looked up at him with her wide blue eyes and shook her head. He lowered his crossbow and walked closer to her. He watched as she placed her small hands on the walker's shoulder and flipped her around. He was confused, wondering why she was touching the thing.

As soon as Grace flipped the body over, dread completely filled her stomach as she recognized the face. Sitting here, in the middle of the deserted graveyard, she found herself staring directly into the eyes of her best friend, Abigail. The girl's green eyes were bloodshot, her freckles standing out on her stark pale face, and her red hair matted with blood. Some flesh was messing from her cheek as well. Grace let out a tiny gasp and placed her hand over her mouth. Fresh tears arose in her eyes as she continued to stare at her friend's dead, sick, and torn apart face. She felt bile rise up from her stomach and quickly stood up and ran to the side of the road to empty all the food she had eaten at the CDC.

She felt her legs collapse from under her and she fell onto the rough floor, tears streaming from her eyes. She tried to remain as quiet as she could, placing her hand over her mouth to keep her sobs in. Abigail, her pretty, redheaded friend that she had known all her life, was sitting a few feet away, dead.

Daryl walked up the quiet girl, glancing at the body she had just been staring at as he stepped over it. He bent down next to her.

"Grace." He said, "Did ya' know her?"

The girl shook her head.

"Abby." Was all she said, and Daryl could barely understand her through her tears.

But just hearing a name made it register in Daryl's mind that she knew the girl before all of this happened. He sat in silence for a moment, letting the girl cry. It had been a month or so since this whole thing started, and they hardly ever talked about their past life. It was a sore subject for everyone and it was avoided most of the time. But just now, seeing her friend like that couldn't have been avoided. There were so many cars around, someone was bound to recognize someone. Normally, he was annoyed with crying girls, but he knew how rough things had been on her so he tolerated it.

"Come on." He whispered, helping her up to her feet. She was still crying but he helped her navigate away from the dead girl with a hand on the small of her back. He led her far from the car and didn't stop until he knew they couldn't see the girl from here. They still needed to look around for supplies but the girl didn't seem capable of doing that right now.

"Stay here." He muttered to her as he began to look through the car in front of him. She leaned against the car and slid down until she was sitting on the ground by his feet. He watched her out of the corner of his eye as she wrapped her arms around her legs and brought them up to her chest, laying her head against her knees. He let her sit there in silence as he dug through the car, grabbing a few things they would need and setting them in a pile on the top of the car. Once he was finished, he moved around to neighboring cars, always making sure to keep her in his eye sight.

Awhile later, he finished with all the cars in the area, not finding much. He walked up back to the girl who wasn't crying anymore, but still had tear streaks down her face.

"Come on." He said, helping her stand up again. He was about to lead her to another set of cars, but she stopped suddenly and turned to look up at him, wiping her face clean.

"I want to go back." She said, "I need to-I need to say goodbye."

Daryl looked at her closer but finally nodded.

"Alrigh' lets go." He said and she followed behind him as he walked back to the car he had found her at. He watched her as she leaned down to her friend's body and brushed some of the wild red hair from its face and whispered some words that he couldn't hear. She shut the eyes of her friend lightly with her fingertips before standing up and walking to the car. She popped opened the trunk and looked inside. She wanted to know who she was traveling with when she left town. This wasn't Abby's parent's car.

She recognized the zebra print suitcase as Abby's and figured it was filled with her clothes. There were two more suitcases though. The second one was filled with clothes of an older man, hastily thrown in as Grace suspected there hadn't been much time. She dug around the clothes and felt her hand brush against paper. She grabbed it and pulled it out, realizing it was a picture. Her heart turned cold as she recognized the couple in the picture-Bobby's parents. With more urgency, she opened the last suitcase and instantly recognized his clothes. She felt her throat close up as she dug through his stuff, taking better care of it then she had for his father's. She opened a small zippered pocket in the suitcase and literally felt the breath knocked out of her stomach when she pulled out the corsage Bobby had given her the night of homecoming. He had ripped it off her wrist when they got pulled apart in the crowd that night. She held it lightly in her hands. The flowers were all dead but she remembered how it had looked that night. The white flowers full of life and beauty as he slid it onto her small wrist.

She continued to stare at it before she slid the dead flowers onto her wrist. She wanted to hang onto this. A million questions burned in the back of her life. Bobby and his dad weren't in the car and there didn't appear to be any blood on the seats or near the car except for where Abby had been. Maybe they had escaped, got away and were still alive. But she knew they wouldn't have left Amy in the car. If they had the chance to run away, didn't she? She frowned as questions filled her mind.

Daryl watched in confusion as the girl placed the corsage on her wrist but remained silent. She obviously knew these people and she was grieving. Besides, Daryl was shit at comforting people. He didn't like doing it either. So he just stood there, observing and remaining silent. Suddenly, he heard Rick's voice yelling to get under the cars. He looked back towards the RV and saw some walkers. With urgency he pulled Grace away from the car.

"Get down." He hissed, pulling her to the ground roughly. The girl grimaced as her bare knees hit the ground hard. Daryl pushed her under a car and she looked up at him with wide eyes. He put a finger up to his lips and slid under the car next to her. The girl was breathing heavy and she covered her mouth with her hand as she saw the feet of the walkers beside the car. She looked back at Daryl, fear in her eyes.

"Stay quiet." He mouthed to her and she nodded her head slightly.

Suddenly, she heard someone gasp in pain. It sounded like T-dog. Daryl, who had a better view, could see the man trying to hide, holding his forearm in his hand and it was covered in blood. A walker started to direct his path towards him and T-dog tried to run away but his blood loss was making him slower. Daryl watched with conflict as he looked between the man and the girl lying underneath the car next to him. He didn't want to leave Grace here, but that man was going to die without help. So he started to slide out from under the car, causing Grace to look at him with fright and confusion. He gestured at her to stay down and quickly got out from under the car, running silently towards T-dog. He held up his crossbow, aiming it perfectly and nailed the walker in one hit. He ran to the bleeding man who was lying on the floor and placed the dead walker on top of him. Daryl wanted to go back to where Grace was to make sure she was okay, but the walkers were too close now. So he pulled another walker on top of him and laid on the ground near T-dog.

When they seemed to finally pass, Daryl began to throw the body of the walker off him. He wanted to go back to where he had left Grace, defenseless, scared, on the floor while dozens of walkers trampled past them. Just thinking of her small frame, terrified expression, and meekness made him feel worried. He had no idea why he was suddenly starting to care about the girl. Dixon's didn't care about people and they especially didn't sell their souls to any girl. But for some reason, Grace seemed to be able to wrap herself around his thoughts. It pissed him off, but the feeling of her lithe frame shuddering from his touch was enough to make him get passed that.

Suddenly he heard a high-pitched scream. He stood up from the ground and ran towards Grace, assuming it was her. He stopped, confused when he saw the blonde girl getting out from the car, looking in the direction of the forest. He followed her gaze and saw Sophia being chased by two walkers.

Grace, who had heard the scream too, quickly recognized Sophia and pushed herself off the ground and ran to the side of the road. She could see the poor child being chased by two walkers and her heart dropped. She looked to the one closest to the girl and it seemed all her previous questions were suddenly being answered. She froze for a moment, not believing what she was seeing. But the brown hair, his torn up tuxedo and the small boutonniere was all too familiar. She felt a scream building up in the back of her throat and she quickly hopped over the railing alongside the freeway. She ran towards the girl who was trying to get down the small hill. She wouldn't let this happen…she was not about to let Sophia be killed by…by Bobby.

"Bobby!" She screamed, running towards them. She felt wetness on her cheeks and noticed that she was crying. Bobby-the walker, looked towards the sudden noise but still went towards Sophia, as the small girl was closer. Grace sprinted faster this time.

"Bobby!" She yelled again, her voice cracking, "I'm here! I'm right here."

He looked towards her and Grace felt her heart snap in half as she stared into the face of her first love. She had never even had the chance to tell him that she loved him…that his soft blue eyes were the only thing she dreamed about for a long time, that there use to be nothing more in the world that she wanted than to be wrapped up in his arms, listening to his heart beat, drowning in his scent…Grace was now closer to the two walkers that were following Sophia, and they changed their path to go after the older girl. Sophia, ran back to the road, crying in fear still while Grace was frozen in her spot for a second, staring into the eyes of Bobby.

But as he got closer and closer, she realized this wasn't Bobby she was staring at. Bobby had died a long time ago and whatever this was coming after her, might look like Bobby, might share his body, but it wasn't him. It would never be him again. So she ran, just like she had the night her school attacked. She ran into the forest, knowing those things were chasing her and she never looked back.

The minute Daryl saw the walkers begin chasing Grace into the forest, he was instantly in hunter mode, those two walkers his prey and Grace….Grace was his prize, his souvenir, the meat he would normally get to eat if she was an animal. He hopped over the side rail with ease and grace, landing on his feet as light as any trained hunter would. He darted as quickly as he could down the small hill and onto the edge of the forest. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rick beside him, running with the same urgency but for completely different reasons. The man nodded at him but Daryl was busy staring at the floor and taking after the tracks of Grace's feet. The other man followed behind him, taking his lead.

The girl runs fast, Daryl thought to himself as he kept following the tracks on the floor. Suddenly, he heard a noise close by. He pulled himself to a stop, and held out his arm to stop Rick from running on as well. The man looked at him in confusion, but he put a finger to his lip and turned his head in the noise of the sound. He noticed one of the walkers that had been chasing the girl, sniffing around. The other two must have out run it and now it was searching for them. He held his crossbow up, aiming it in line with its head. In a matter of seconds, the thing was dead, lying on the floor. He ran over to it quickly and ripped the arrow from its head. He gestured at Rick to follow him and began tracing the girl's footprints again.

The tracks lead the two men to a creek. Daryl didn't even hesitant entering the water and quickly coming up on the other side. Rick followed behind him but caused much more noise in the water than Daryl's stealthy form. They continued to follow the tracks before they suddenly disappeared, as if Grace managed to vanish into air. Daryl frowned in confusion, his eyebrows pulling together. He didn't quite know what this meant. He normally would have assumed that the walker had gotten to her, but the walker was nowhere in sight and neither was Grace.

"Did the tracks disappear?" Rick asked, confused as well, "How did they disappear?"

Daryl froze for a moment, feeling the wind. He didn't notice it when he was running, but now that he was standing still, he could see the leaves of the trees swaying back and forth as the wind pulled them in its grasp. The wind must have scattered the leaves on the floor, covering their path from here. He felt something clench in his stomach and catch in his throat, but he didn't recognize the feeling.

"The wind." He muttered, "The fuckin' wind."

Rick frowned, "Well she couldn't have gotten that far. We'll find her, Daryl."

Daryl didn't say anything as he studied the ground harder; looking for something he might have missed. His eyes caught on a glimpse of red on the bark of the tree a few distances away. He walked up to it slowly, dreading what it might be. Rick followed behind him, looking around the forest to see any sign of the girl. He stopped in front of the tree. It was definitely blood, human blood and he knew it had to be from Grace.

Rick noticed the blood as well and his frown grew deeper.

"She's hurt." He muttered under his breath.

Daryl nodded, the same feeling from earlier eating away at his stomach.

"But her body's not here, so she must be alive." Rick continued, trying to keep the hope.

Daryl didn't answer him as he continued to stare at the blood. He kept frowning as he thought about how the girl had ran towards the Walkers, yelling out some name as she caught their attention, saving Sophia. He wished he had reacted faster, ran after her the moment she hopped over the railing. But it had all happened to fast and he was too far away from saving T-dog, to stop her. He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. If he had been a little faster…

"We need to get back to the highway." Rick said, "Collect the others and start a search."

Daryl shook his head quickly, "No. By time we do that, she could get herself more lost. I'm gonna' go look for her."

Rick sighed, "Daryl, we need to get a bigger group together so we can split off and search different areas. She couldn't have gotten that far."

"I'm not leavin' her." Daryl grunted.

"Look Daryl, I know you're worried." Rick said, and Daryl narrowed his eyes, "We all are. But going on like this isn't going to do us any good. If you go off on your own, I won't be able to track her path the same way you did. We need to go back to the group and get some others and come back here. It's the only way we're going to find her."

Daryl stayed silent, staring at the blood on the tree. She was hurt, she was scared, she was tired, and most of all, she was defenseless. He didn't want to waste any time going back to the group when she was out here somewhere, all alone, being chased by one of those things. He needed to find her.

"She's going to be okay, Daryl." Rick said, "She's a smart girl. She'll be okay."

Daryl stayed quiet for a moment longer, but finally nodded, agreeing with the man. They needed to go back and get a bigger search party to cover more areas.

Grace had to be okay. She had to.

* * *

Grace could feel her legs growing tired as she continued to run, knowing that thing that claimed Bobby's body was following close behind her. Sweat dripped down into her eyes, stinging them as her hair whipped in her face. She lost concentration for a moment as her eyes stung at the saltiness of her sweat, and bumped her arm on a rough tree, scraping off some of her skin. She grabbed onto the fresh wound, feeling blood seep through it. It covered her hands but she continued to run as the smell of her blood made that thing move even faster. She didn't know how much longer she could last.

Every step she took weighed so heavy, and her legs were weakening. She let out a heavy breath but still continued forward. She wasn't ready to die but if she was going to, she was at least happy that it would be by the hands of her former lover. It seemed so fitting, so tragic, and so ironic, that for some reason, she contemplated if this was really God's plan for her all along. She had been so quick to forget about Bobby as Daryl's touches made her feel so alive. Maybe this was God's way of dealing with her sin, her betrayal.

As her thoughts consumed her mind, she forgot momentarily to watch where she was going. She tripped over a large, uplifted root from one of the trees, and her body smashed on the ground from the force of gravity. She felt her ankle twist on the way down as it got caught on the branch, and she felt the delicate muscle strain itself. She tried to get up, but the pain in her ankle kept her on the ground. She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood as she crawled on the floor, tears and sweat sliding down her face, as she tried to get away from the walker.

The walker, noticing her slower movements, slowed down as well. It could sense her sudden weakness and knew it had her in its hands.

Grace watched as the walker dragged its feet as it marched closer and closer to her as she continued to crawl away. Her ankle was throbbing in pain, her arm still bleeding, and she couldn't catch her breath. A twig snapped under her hand, causing her to fall back on her elbows. She threw her head to look towards the ground, looking for anything to use as a weapon. When her sight was met with a large, heavy rock, she instantly knew it wasn't her time to die.

She picked the rock up, straining the muscles in her upper arms and stood up quickly, her motivation and courage helping her ignore the pain in her ankle. She raised the rock high above her head as the walker walked closer and closer to her. When it was close enough to reach out its hand and grasp onto her shirt, she threw the rock down with a force she didn't know she was capable of. It smashed against the head of the walker, who fell to the ground from the impact, blood sweeping out of the new wound on its head.

She knelt down next to the Walker's side. It seemed that she had damaged the part of the brain that controlled movement, as the walker lied on the ground, unable to get up. She stared at its face once more. The same blue eyes that were exactly Bobby's, the matted brown hair, the small nose that turned up at the end. She brushed some of the hair out of its face tenderly as it continued to try to bite at her flesh, but couldn't move. Some of the tears from her eyes dripped down onto its face.

"Bobby, I know you're not in there, but-" Grace stopped for a moment, staring down into the blue eyes, "But I just want you to know that I love you. I loved you from the moment I saw you, and I will always love you."

She used her free hand to wipe her tears, not even noticing as she smeared blood onto her face, "I guess I'll never know if you ever loved me back, but I know you're in a better place now, away from the terror, away from the fear, away from the sadness, away from all of this."

"Bobby, I-" She stopped, as a sob escaped her lips, "This wasn't fair. We were supposed to be having the best day of our lives and then-and then you were ripped from my hands and I never even got to tell you how I felt, how just seeing your face could make me smile, how holding your hand warmed my heart, how just being with you was everything I needed. And then you were taken from me and I never thought I would see you again. But I found you today…but you're not here, are you? You're not here."

She grabbed onto the rock again and lifted it above her head.

"I'm so sorry, Bobby." She said, before smashing the rock down on his head, finally killing him.

She couldn't help it as a sob escaped her lips, tears streaming from her eyes, falling down on her lap. She dropped the rock covered in Bobby's blood to the side as she ran her fingertips over his eyes, closing them. She fixed up his tuxedo and buttoned up his white shirt that was torn. Her fingers traced the area of his heart as she continued to sit next to him crying. She brought her fingers up to her lips and kissed them lightly, before pressing them to his cold, dead ones.

This wasn't supposed to happen. It wasn't supposed to end like this. She could still feel the way he held her in his arms, how he would softly stroke her hair, how he would squeeze her hand every once in awhile as they talked, how he walked with his hands in his pocket, how he would interrupt her with kisses, how-

Grace couldn't stop the memories from consuming her mind as tears continued to pour from her eyes. She leaned over his dead body, holding him in her arms once last time as she remembered him when he was alive.

She didn't know how long she stayed there for, just holding him as she cried. But the sky was darkening and she knew she would have to try and find her way back soon or she would be stuck here all night. But she couldn't leave Bobby. Not yet. She wasn't ready to say good bye. So she stayed by his side, cradling his dead body, knowing it was the last time she would ever be with him.

The sky finally turned black, but she still didn't move from her spot. She wasn't able to find the conviction, the motivation to move from his side. So she stayed there as the sky turned from black, to a royal blue, to a soft grey, before it returned back to its bright blue color. But she continued to sit there. She had finally stopped crying, but her face was tear-stained and covered in her own blood.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of church bells as she sat up quickly. It sounded really close by and she looked back down at the body of her former lover. He needed to be blessed and buried and a church seemed the best place to do that. She stood up from her spot and tried to lift the boy, but he was too heavy. So instead, she grabbed his foot and began to drag him. She was moving slow, but she needed this. She needed to know that he was in Heaven, among God. It was the best closure she could afford right now.

So with all her strength, she continued to drag the body, moving towards the sounds of the bells.

* * *

It had been a day since Grace had ran off into the forest. Daryl was pacing around the edge of the woods, waiting impatiently as the rest of the group got ready to go search for the girl. Last night, Rick had prevented Daryl from going back out to look for her after it got dark. Shane had to literally restrain the man as Rick talked some sense into him. Daryl had stormed away afterwards and hasn't talked to the group since as he spent the night pacing the edge of the forest, much like he was doing now.

The group had thought his behavior was weird. To them, it seemed as though Daryl was actually worried about Grace, which seemed completely bizarre to them. Daryl wasn't very friendly and it didn't seem like he cared for anything. But here he was, pacing around angrily as the girl was lost in the forest. They group was definitely confused, wondering what exactly was going on between the two.

Glenn was worried as well. He didn't want to lose Grace. She had become his best friends in their short time together and the thought of her dying, tugged at his heart. She was like his unofficial sister now. The two cared for each other very much. Sure they argued, got in petty fights, but it was easy to see how much they relied on each other. So he stood next to the pacing Daryl, waiting for everyone else to join them as well. He wanted to find her, today.

"Are we gonna' get this show on the road, people?" Daryl yelled back to the group.

The group seemed to snap into place at his shouts and began walking towards the forest. Daryl rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"It's not like she's missin' or anything. Just take yer sweet ass time." He muttered under his breath.

Dale, T-dog and Sophia were all staying at the RV. Carl had begged his dad to come and help them look and he had given the boy his approval. Lori, Carol and Andrea were all willing to help look as well, feeling worried about the younger girl. They congregated at the edge of the forest next to Daryl, who began searching for her tracks again. Luckily, they hadn't been swept away with the wind and he began following them.

They passed the creek and finally found the spot where her tracks seemed to disappear. Daryl noticed the way the blood was smeared on the tree and it seemed as though she had bumped into it while running. It pointed towards the left, so Daryl decided to take that route. The group continued to follow after the man, keeping their eyes on the surrounding forest for any sign of the girl.

Glenn's voice stopped them, "Guys, I think you might want to look at this."

Daryl was the first person to walk over to where Glenn was and noticed the Asian boy pointed at a huge rock on the ground. It was covered in blood and the same blood was on the surrounding floor. He noticed a trail of blood leading into the forest, as if something had been dragged. He frowned for a minute, thinking of what this meant. Rick came up beside him and glanced at the scene.

"It's not human blood." Shane said, bending down for a closer look, "It's definitely from the geeks."

"Do you think Grace did this?" Andrea asked, looking at the rock.

"Maybe." Rick said, "But if she killed that walker, why didn't she return back to the highway?"

"Maybe she got lost on her way back." Lori said, holding onto Carl.

"We would've picked up other tracks from her." Daryl said, "There's a trail of blood over 'ere. Which means whatever got hit with that rock, got dragged away."

"If this was Grace's doing, why would she drag the walker away?" Glenn asked, confused.

"Maybe it's another one of her preacher girl stunts." Shane said, sighing in annoyance.

Daryl glared at the man, "Or maybe someone came here and attacked her. And I'm not talkin' about them walkers."

Shane instantly looked away, knowing what Daryl was referring to.

"I guess we should just follow the trail of blood." Rick said, "It's the only lead we have right now."

Daryl didn't need to be told twice as he started following the trail. He bumped into Shane with his shoulder as he passed by the man, almost knocking him over. Shane looked at him with a glare and Daryl returned it with an even deadlier one. Rick noticed their exchange in confusion and narrowed his eyes but started following Daryl, not questioning it. Their highest priority right now was finding Grace.

It wasn't too long before Daryl saw a Church in the distance. Rick noticed it as well and nodded his head towards it, signaling to the group that they should head into that direction. The trail of blood was still on the floor, and it was leading right to the church. Daryl frowned as he continued to follow it, still feeling confused.

"Do you think Grace went to the Church?" Carol asked, as they walked towards the building.

"My guess would be yes." Rick said, "The trail of blood seems to be leading to the church. I don't know what Grace was dragging over there, but I'm placing my bets on her being in that church."

Daryl moved faster as they got closer to the church. The trail of blood stopped just on the outskirts of the forest and he paused for a second.

"Whatever she was dragging seemed to have stopped bleeding." Rick said, looking at the ground. Daryl nodded and walked up the front of the church. He was about to open the door when Rick placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Be careful."

Daryl didn't reply but opened the door slowly, and glanced inside. There were three walkers sitting in the pews, but no sign of Grace. He looked back to the group and held up three fingers. Rick nodded and pulled out a knife. They didn't want to make any noise, so he stayed away from his gun. Daryl slipped inside and quietly made his way up behind one of the walkers. The thing turned to stare at him and he shot an arrow in between its eyes. He ripped the arrow from its head and noticed that Rick and Shane had finished off the other two walkers. He walked up to the Jesus statue.

"Takin' any requests, JC." He said, bitterly, thinking of the religious girl.

Carol sat down in a pew.

"I think I'm going to pray for awhile." She said and Lori agreed with her, sitting down too.

Daryl rolled his eyes at the women but didn't focus on them for too long. He knew Grace had to be around here somewhere. The blood trail had led to here and it was a Church. Everything was hinting at the chance that she was here. He walked out of the building and began searching the area.

Suddenly Glenn ran up to him, his eyes wide, "I found her but she's-she's…"

Glenn didn't seem to be able to get the words out and dread filled Daryl's stomach as he assumed the boy was trying to tell him she was dead.

"Where?" He grunted, his voice rough and low.

Glenn pointed to the left, around the back of the building. Daryl ran off in that direction, looking for the girl with the long curly blonde hair. It wasn't hard to spot her. She was kneeling on the floor over the dead body of the walker that had been chasing her earlier. Daryl was confused at why she dragged his body here and cautiously walked up to the girl. Seeing her alive, made the weird feeling in Daryl's stomach disappear.

The rest of the group came out of the church and Daryl figured Glenn must've told them he found her. As Daryl got closer, he could see the blood smeared on her face and on the side of her shirt. She was gently stroking the hair of the walker on the floor, much like she had done with that woman back when their camp got attack.

"Grace?" He called out and the girl looked up at him for a moment, her gaze hard.

"Was she bit?" He heard Shane ask from next to Rick as they noticed the blood.

He got closer and he got a better look at the walker. It was wearing a tuxedo with some flower thing on its chest. Its head looked like he had been bashed in and Daryl assumed that Grace had used the rock for that. Suddenly, he remembered the time he first met Grace when she was hiding in that tree. She had on that fancy dress and mentioned something about a school dance. It all made sense now to Daryl as he watched the two. She knew this boy and looking at the corsage on her wrist, he had been more than a friend.

The group beside him noticed as well, putting two and two together. Lori felt tears spring into her eyes as she thought at how she felt when she thought Rick had died. Of course, it was a little different since Rick was her husband, but she could understand what Grace was feeling right now.

"Grace?" Glenn called out this time, moving closer to the girl.

She looked up at him when he got too close, and a low growl came from the back of her throat. For a second, seeing the blood on her, he thought maybe she was bit and had turned into one of them. But her skin was the same creamy color, her eyes still a light blue and she didn't look sick. Tired, worn, depressed, but not sick like the walkers. Glenn backed off a little and looked towards the group with an unsure expression.

Daryl walked closer to her and she looked up at him with the same expression but didn't growl at him the way she did to Glenn. So he walked forward with more confidence until he was standing next to her. He knelt next to her on the ground and looked at the walker for a moment, before looking at her blood-covered face. The group watched curiously at their interaction. It seemed as though Grace trusted Daryl enough to let him come near her.

"Grace?" Daryl said, reaching a hand out to touch her shoulder. She flinched at his touch but turned her face to look up at him. She stared at him for a moment, searching his face for something. Daryl took his hand away from her and let it swing to his side as he watched her. Suddenly, she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his waist as tears began to slip out of her eyes. Daryl let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding in and looked down at the girl, a little unsure. He wasn't use to comforting people. He wasn't use to crying girls. And he wasn't use to giving a fuck.

But for some reason, right now, seeing her cry made that weird feeling come back into his stomach. He still didn't recognize it and it was driving him crazy. But he pushed it aside as the girl clung to him. He placed his hand on the top of her head and stroked her hair a little before helping her stand up. He noticed how she kept the weight off of her left ankle and the blood coating her arm.

He grabbed her face with both hands and made her look at him.

"Were you bit?" He asked and she shook her head no. He sighed in relief.

"Are you hurt?" He asked.

"My ankle." She muttered, her voice scratchy from crying, "And my arm."

"'Ey Dixon, was the girl bit?" Shane called out, making Daryl tense in anger at his voice.

The girl tensed at the man's voice as well, making Daryl even angrier. He let go of her face and she hid it in his chest, trying to hide her tears from the group.

"No." Daryl finally answered, reluctantly, "But she's hurt. I need to get her back to the highway."

Rick nodded his head at the man but Carl drew his attention away from him as he pulled on his sleeve.

"Can you teach me to shoot now?" The boy asked, "We're far away from the highway, right? And you promised you would."

"Carl, no." Lori said, answering for her husband, "We need to take Grace back to the highway."

"But dad promised!" He argued, "He said if we ever found a safe place to practice, he would teach me."

Rick was conflicted for a moment.

"Shane, will you teach me?" Carl asked the other man, when he didn't get a response from his dad. Shane looked a Lori and she sent him a glare. He looked down, his eyebrows pulling together.

Rick finally made a decision, "How about you, Carol, Glenn, Andrea and Daryl take Grace back to the highway. Shane and I will teach Carl how to shoot for a little and come back."

"I don't know how I feel about him holding a gun." Lori said.

"He's going to have to learn someday." Rick said, "It will be better with him knowing how to defend himself."

Lori sighed, but agreed and looked down at Carl, "Fine, but you know that this is not a toy or something to play with. You treat this very seriously and one word about you acting up or making this into a joke, and I will take it away."

Carl nodded his head eagerly, accepting the rules.

Daryl walked past the talking group, helping Grace walk who was limping, trying not to put weight on her ankle.

"We need to go back." Daryl grunted, holding onto the smaller girl.

Rick nodded, "Glenn, Carol, Andrea and Lori will go with you guys. We'll catch up later."

Daryl nodded, not really caring. All he was focused on was getting back to the highway to fix up Grace. Carol walked over the pair, drawing their attention.

"Grace, I just…wanted to thank you." She said, grabbing onto the girl's arm, "For helping Sophia. If it wasn't for you…I don't know what would've happened."

Grace didn't reply and Daryl glanced down at her. She was still crying a little and she turned her face away from the woman and into his arm.

"She's tired." Daryl answered for her, "And hurt."

Carol nodded in understanding, "You poor girl. I can't imagine how it feels to find your high school sweetheart like that."

She looked like she instantly regretted her words as soon as they slipped out of her mouth. Daryl continued to focus on Grace as she bit her lip and her body tensed up again. She pulled herself closer to the man and he tightened his grip on her.

"Carol." He hissed, "She's upset. Leave it be."

Carol looked at him, noticing the way he was protecting her and treating her. She was even more curious about their relationship but nodded her head and let them be.

"Let's get ya' back, Baby girl." Daryl whispered into her ear. She nodded in response and continued to hide her face in the side of his chest.

Daryl continued to help her walk, eager to get back. The rest of the group trailed after them.

Soon after, it was starting to get darker and they were moving slow due to Grace's ankle. They hadn't made it very far from the Church and Daryl knew if they continued at this pace, they wouldn't make it back before dark. He didn't want to have to navigate back to the highway in the dark so he stopped for a moment and Grace looked up at him in confusion. He moved away from her a little and bent down to place his free hand under the backside of her knee. He lifted her with ease and she wrapped her arms around his neck, looking at him with her big blue eyes.

"Don't worry." He whispered, "I've gotcha'."

Her body relaxed a little as she nestled her head into the crook of his neck. He could feel her light breaths against his skin.

Suddenly a gunshot was heard in the distance. Lori looked over to the noise and grimaced.

"Guess they really are going to teach him." She muttered, but when she didn't hear another one, she narrowed her eyes in confusion. If they were practicing, there should have been more than one shot.

"How come there was only one shot?" She asked, making the group stop.

"Probably took out one of them walkers or somethin'." Daryl grunted.

"Rick wouldn't risk shooting just one." Lori said, looking concerned, "We should go back."

"Look, we'll be lucky if we make it to the campsite before dark." Daryl said, "We can't go back. They're fine and they will catch up with us later. Right now, we have to get Grace back to the campsite."

Lori still looked conflicted but nodded her head and the group continued walking. It continued to get darker but Daryl knew they were getting close to the creek and then they would be at the highway. Grace still had her arms wrapped around his neck and her face buried as he carried her through the forest. He was so use to carrying deer that he shot back to his home after hunting trips, that his arms hadn't even tired out yet.

He could see the creek now, getting closer and walked a bit faster. However, they were stopped as a walker came from nowhere and attacked Andrea. Daryl who had Grace in his arms, was too slow to respond to the attack as Andrea tried to fight the walker off of her. Suddenly, a woman riding a horse appeared and knocked the walker off the girl with a baseball bat. She yelled something about Carl being shot, but it was too fast for Daryl to comprehend. Lori seemed to though, as she jumped into action and got on the horse with the random lady. Daryl watched as they rode off, leaving the group in confusion.

"Carl's been shot?" Carol gasped, placing a hand to her mouth.

Glenn bit his lip in worry while Andrea replied, "I think that's what she said. Let's just keep heading back to the highway. We need to get back to the RV and then we can travel to the house she was talking about."

Daryl nodded his approval at her plan and they made it back to the highway in less than a half hour. Dale ran to the group as he noticed Daryl carrying the blonde girl in his arms.

"Is she alright?" He asked, "Where is everyone else?"

Daryl let Andrea fill him in on everything that happened as he carried Grace into the RV and sat her down on the bed. Dale came in after him, finally informed of everything.

"Do ya' have somethin' to wrap her ankle with?" Daryl asked.

Dale nodded, "Glenn picked up some first aid things on his first run into Atlanta."

He pulled out a box that he had been keeping all the health things in. He handed the younger man a roll of ACE bandage.

"Do you know what you're doing?" Dale asked.

Daryl nodded his head and didn't tell the man how growing up with an abusive father could teach you a lot about first aid. He grabbed the girl's leg and pulled of her boot slowly as she winced in pain. He took off her sock too. He looked at her small foot and noticed how her ankle was swollen a little bit.

"Can ya' move it?" He asked and she nodded her head.

She was lucky it was just a sprain. He began wrapping it up and finished in a few minutes. Dale had left and returned with a few wet towels. Daryl grabbed one of them and began washing the blood off of her arm. He stayed careful not to touch her wound. He knew they had to avoid an infection, though so he softly cleaned the wound as well. Grace tensed as he did so, but didn't complain. Once her arm was bandaged, he helped wipe off the blood on her face before setting the towel down.

"Glenn took T-dog to the doctor's house." Dale told the man, "I think we should get Grace there as well. There's no use staying here anymore."

"It's late." Daryl replied, "More walkers come out at night and the noise of the cars is gonna' draw them right to us. We wait until mornin' and then go meet the others."

Dale nodded at his command and went outside to tell the others of the plan.

Daryl knelt down next to Grace who looked a little better after being cleaned up.

"Rest now, Baby girl." He said.

She looked up at him with her innocent eyes and nodded her head, letting her body relax on the bed. She closed her eyes, sudden incredibly tired. She could hear the sound of voices and wind pressing against the window. The sound helped put her to sleep and Daryl watched as her breathing smoothed out evenly.

He stared down at her sleeping form before brushing some hair from her face and leaving the RV.

* * *

It was a little while later that Grace awoke from her nap and realized she was lying on the bed inside the RV. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, standing up hesitantly. Her ankle still hurt, so she hobbled out of the vehicle. When she got outside, she could see it was dark. Andrea was sitting on top of the RV with Dale, not looking very happy about it. T-dog was gone and Glenn was as well. She looked up towards Dale.

"Hey Dale?" She called out, drawing his attention, "Where's Glenn and T-dog?"

"Glenn took T-dog to the doctor's house to see if he could get some help." Dale answered and Grace nodded her head.

She looked around again and noticed Daryl wasn't around either, "Did Daryl go with them?"

Dale looked down at her, "No. He went off that way. Don't know what he's doing."

Grace nodded her head and took off in the direction Dale had pointed to, limping with her bad ankle. She passed a few cars with some dead bodies in them, and quickly adverted her eyes. It only reminded her of Bobby's own body. She kept her gaze forward instead, focusing on where she was walking. She spotted the back of Daryl's head. He was sitting on the bed of a truck, next to his bags. She stopped for a moment and bit her lip, watching him. He seemed to sense her presence as he turned around and met her eyes. His eyebrows pulled together as he noticed her and he hopped of the truck and walked over to her.

"What are ya' doin' walkin' around?" He asked with his rough voice, "Ya' suppose to be restin' in the RV."

"I don't like being in there." Grace said, looking at her hands.

Daryl let out a breath and wrapped an arm around her waist to help hold her up.

"Well then, come on." He said, leading her to the truck he was sitting on. He let her go for a moment to spread out a blanket so she didn't have to sit on the hard truck. He grabbed onto her waist and hoisted her up before taking the spot next to her.

It was quiet for a moment as they both looked up to the sky.

"Who was he?" Daryl asked, unable to hold in his curiosity. He looked down at the girl, who continued to stare at the stars.

"Bobby." She answered after another moment, "He was my date to homecoming."

Daryl nodded and turned to look up at the sky again as silence took over once more.

"I was…I was in love with him, I think." Grace said, breaking the silence. Daryl stayed silent but turned to look at her.

"I don't know if he loved me back." She sighed, "I think he was trying to tell me something before it all happened. But I never got to hear what he was going to say."

Daryl continued to stay silent as he watched the girl. She turned to meet his gaze with her blue eyes that seemed to light up in the dark. She studied his face for a moment. Suddenly, she rose to his level and pressed her lips against his, confusing and shocking the hell out of the man. She was just talking about some boy she used to love and now she was kissing him. She hadn't initiated anything physical ever.

He pulled away from her, looking at her in confusion.

"Help me forget." She whispered, looking down, "I just want to forget."

Daryl looked over her face, the long eyelashes that framed her blue eyes, her small ski-slope nose, her red cheeks and her plump lips. He felt the familiar hunger building up in his stomach again as he looked at the girl and he leaned down to press his lips against her's roughly. She melted into his touch and he pushed her back onto the truck so she was lying down as he moved his body on top of hers. He used one hand to hold his weight up and grabbed her chin roughly with his other hand. His fingers dug into her soft flesh as he deepened the kiss.

She arched her back as her body responded to his rough touches naturally. He was nothing like Bobby, who had been nothing but delicate and gentle with her. And all she wanted to do was forget about those feelings. Bobby was dead now and she knew life would never be the same.

But Daryl's touches were keeping her body on fire, and as he bit down on her lower lip, she forgot about the world around them. All she could focus on was his calloused fingers gripping her chin and his rough lips. He moved his mouth from her lips to the side of her neck that already had a bruise due to his last assault. He sucked on the same bruise, making Grace hiss lightly at the pain. His hand moved away from her chin to grip her hair tightly, pulling on it slightly. She brought one of her hands up to hold onto the arm that was holding his weight off her. She could feel his muscle tense under her touch and he slid one of his legs in between her own.

He brought his lips back up to her mouth, pressing them so hard against her own that her head was pressed into the truck. He ran his tongue across her bottom lip, feeling its smoothness. He wanted to really taste her this time, make her body shudder as he explored her mouth with his tongue. He pressed his tongue on her lips, opening them slightly before forcing it inside her mouth. He explored every crevice in her mouth, massaging her tongue with his. The deeper kiss allowed him to be rougher with her and he pulled on her hair again, causing a small moan from the girl. His body grew hotter at the sound and she arched her back further, pressing up against his chest.

He felt her hand slide down to his chest, staying there for a moment before sliding down further to rest above the button of his jeans. He pulled away from his mouth and grabbed her wandering hand before forcing it above her heard.

"Yer not ready for that." He grunted and she looked up at him.

"Yes I am." She answered, but he could hear the innocence in her voice, her tone unsure.

"No yer not." He hissed at her, pressing her hand harder into the truck, asserting his dominance and showing her that he was in control.

"Do you not want me?" She asked, her voice softer this time as she looked at him with hurt eyes.

He pressed his lips down onto her's, harder than he did before, knocking her head against the truck and she grunted a little at the pain. But he ignored it and continued to smother her lips with his, relinquishing in the feel of their softness. He pulled away after a moment, nipping at her bottom lip as he did so.

"Ya' really are stupid." He grunted at her, lowly, "Of course I want ya', ya' dumb girl. But you ain't ready for that."

He kissed her roughly once last time, claiming her lips as his as he entered his tongue into her mouth once more. He moved away from her lips and kissed up the side of her cheek until he reached her ear. He placed a kiss on her small lobe and then sucked on it, causing it to turn red. The girl shuddered under his touch, tensing her thighs against his leg. He slide his mouth down to her neck again, this time biting and sucking on the underside of her jaw as her back arched up and she moaned lightly at his touch.

"Daryl." She said, her voice loaded with pleasure.

He growled at the noise and moved back up to claim her lips again. He pressed the hand above her into the truck even more as he deepened the kiss. He continued to kiss her as her body responded to each of his touches. He smirked against her lips at his effect and then pulled away. He rolled over the side and laid on the spot next to her. He felt her curl up against his side and looked down at the girl. Her curly hair was spread around her head like a halo, her lips swollen and red, and her eyes heavy from his advances. He couldn't help but feel accomplished, making the preacher's daughter all hot like that from his touches.

"Ya' better not go runnin' off again like that, ya' stupid girl." He said, his voice roughly than normal, "Ya' goin' get yerself killed next time, ya' hear me?"

She nodded her head, pressing herself even closer to him. Daryl wasn't a cuddler and it was taking all his restraints to not flip her over and take her as his right now. But he knew she wasn't ready for that. She was far too innocent and her mind wasn't straight right now due to recent events. So he let her curl up to his side as he stared at the sky wondering why her God was allowing him to corrupt the innocence and virtue of this preacher's daughter.

* * *

**Author's Note: Oh next chapter is going to be even more fun as the group begins to question their relationship haha. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave a review and let me know what you think! Thanks to all my lovely followers as well, you guys are amazing! 3**

**Until next time, little walkers! (:**


	9. Breathless

***Woohoo another update! This one's coming out late tonight, sorry readers who are in my time zone! Also, in case some of you were not aware, I have a polyvore that's dedicated to making sets inspired by this story. If you wanna check it out, go to my profile for the link! Enjoy this chapter!**

**Mena in the Garden: **Norman Reedus is too sexy for his own good, especially when he plays Daryl ;) The new season starts tonight and I'm so excited for that! Hope you got all caught up and are ready for the new season! I swear if they kill Daryl off, I will be so upset. I'll probably start a riot and protest or something haha. I'm glad you enjoyed reading the last chapter and I hope you like this one as well! (:

**Bubs1: **I love new readers, yay! I'm glad you've been enjoying the story so far and thank you so much for your support! Hope you enjoy this chapter as well! (:

**KuroOkamii77: **Thank you so much! I'm very happy that you've enjoyed the story so far. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint! Thanks for the review!(:

**Jen Drake: **Yeah, I hate when that happens too. I'm trying to make this as realistic as I possibly can considering it is fanfiction ;) But I'm glad you've enjoyed the story! I hope you like this chapter (:

**Archnemeses: **I honest to God believe Daryl is a good man. He comes off a little rough and he is mean most of the time, but he has morals. He's very different from Merle in that aspect, I believe. Thanks for reading and reviewing! I'm glad you've been enjoying the story and I hope you like this chapter as well! (:

**Huge thanks to SoFarFromPerfect90, Emberka-2012, Katara Melody Cullen (AVATAR FTW), Mrs. Barrett, Melanie, Little Miss Michelle, Velvetemr73, DancingFairy18, TeddyxSkeleton, HisGodGivenSolace, and Orcafan1 for their reviews as well! I wish I could reply to everyone but I don't want to take up the whole chapter with my own rambles haha! Also thanks to my followers and the people who favorite the story! Love you all!**

* * *

**Safe and Sound**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Breathless**

* * *

The next morning, Dale was sitting on top of the RV again, keeping watch. It had been a long night, but the RV was finally fixed and ready to go. They would be leaving today to go meet up with the rest of the group at the farm that Lori got taken to. Carl was shot and the group at the RV didn't know how bad it was. He could've just been grazed or he could've been nailed in a crucial place on his body. Everyone was worried and eager to meet up with the rest of the group.

Dale heard Carol come out from the RV where she, Sophia and Andrea had been sleeping. He looked down at her as she looked around the highway. She turned to look at him after a few moments.

"Dale, do you know where Grace is?" She asked.

Dale's eyebrows pulled together for a moment as he thought about the last time he saw the young girl. He remembered her coming out of the RV last night and asking him some questions about the group. And then she set off in the direction of Daryl. Dale, who was on night watch, had dozed off for an hour, and when he awoke, he had assumed she had come back because he didn't see her up ahead. But he didn't see Daryl either. He frowned in concern and confusion.

"She ran off to find Daryl last night." Dale answered, "Did she not come back?"

Carol shook her head, frowning as well.

Dale held up his binoculars to look for them in that direction. But he couldn't see either of them.

"I don't see them." He said, pulling the binoculars down.

"I'll go look for them." Carol said, feeling concerned.

Dale nodded his head. Ever since yesterday when Grace had clung to Daryl and the group saw the way he treated her, there had been questions about their relationship. Last night when Grace had gone off to find Daryl, Dale remembered Andrea voicing her questions about what was going on between the pair. Grace was such a young, sweet, and naïve girl. She preached so much about God and it was quite obvious that her dad had kept her sheltered, as the innocence in her eyes shown through. Even in the state of the world now, she never seemed to lose that innocence. Dale had heard about how she bashed in the head of her high school sweetheart with a rock and he could hardly believe it was true. Grace was just so compassionate, so loving and caring that it was hard for Dale to imagine her doing anything violent. But recent events had his opinion of Grace changing. Maybe she wasn't so defenseless after all.

But Daryl Dixon was the complete opposite. He was rude, mean, callous, and there wasn't a shroud of innocence left in the man. He killed without questioning, used violence to control his anger, and his rough exterior left many intimidated. But seeing the way he carried Grace back to camp and helped mend her wounds, confused Dale beyond belief. He took care of her with such a gentle hand that Dale began to wonder what was really going on between the two of them.

How could a girl like Grace stick to a man like Daryl in the first place? Back at their first camp, he had seen the way she talked to the Dixon brothers when no one else in camp gave the rude pair a second glance. And then he remembered seeing the young girl go after Daryl after he was told the news about his brother. He assumed she was trying to comfort him, as she did with anyone in the camp, but now he was beginning to wonder what really went on in that tent. He would naturally assume that Daryl probably insulted her and kicked her out. But he didn't quite know anymore.

The man had to be at least ten years older than young Grace. Dale couldn't help but think maybe the older man had manipulated her, using her naivety to his advantage. But then he saw the way Grace looked at him cleaning and dressing her wounds. She trusted the older man; that was obvious. But he hadn't a clue as to why. Their relationship was definitely suspicious and Dale promised himself he would keep a closer eye on them as he watched Carol walk further and further away to find them.

Carol passed by many cars, refusing to look inside and see the dead bodies. She couldn't wait to leave this place and head to the farm, which sounded like it was a lot safer. She wanted to get Sophia out of here as well. The girl was still shaken up after what happened a few days ago, and Carol couldn't help but feel internally grateful that Grace had saved her daughter. She didn't know what she would do if Sophia had been taken by those walkers. Her heart froze at even the thought of it, so she pushed the thoughts away and continued to look for Daryl and Grace.

She passed by a truck and heard light breathing, a sound that broke through the dead silence of the highway. She glanced down and was met with surprise and shock. Daryl was sleeping on the bed of the truck with Grace's young body curled up next to him. His muscular arm was under her neck, giving it support as she used his chest as a pillow. Daryl's head was pressed against her light blonde hair and the normal scowl that was usually present on his face, was smoothed out as he slept next to the girl. She watched them for a moment, still in shock. Daryl suddenly moved a little and she thought he was waking up so she froze in her spot. But he didn't wake up, just shifted around into a more comfortable position. She continued to observe them, noting the way Grace unconsciously moved her own body to fit better against the older man's, as if he was a magnet drawing her in.

So many questions and concerns entered Carol's mind. She remembered her observations from yesterday when she noticed how protective Daryl seemed of the girl, how he answered for her, kept a tight grip on her small body, and carried her back to camp, whispering things into her ear. And Grace had clung to the man, hiding her face in his chest when Carol had tried to talk to her, how she trusted him to come near her and the walker when she had growled animalistic at Glenn who was her best friend.

Daryl Dixon was not a caring man, but after seeing the way he reacted to her being chased by walkers into the forest, the way he protected her, the way he cleaned and dressed her wounds and the way he was holding her now…well it was just completely confusing to Carol. She frowned a bit at her confusion. She was curious about what was going on between them. She knew the entire camp was curious as well. It just seemed so strange to them. Grace, the sweet preacher's daughter and Daryl, the deadly hunter with his rude exterior. It was just so strange.

Carol started to walk back to the RV. She didn't have the heart to wake the two up. Something inside her told her it was wrong. Daryl was much older than the naïve girl. But things weren't the same anymore because the world had gone to shit. She wasn't sure things still applied anymore. And after being in an abusive relationship for so long, her opinions on things ceased to exist as Ed's opinions were always forced on her. So she minded her own business, kept her mouth shut like Ed had taught her. Even though he wasn't around anymore, after the years of constant abuse, it was natural for her.

Dale saw Carol walking back to the RV.

"Did you find them?" He called out.

The woman nodded her head, "Sleeping on a truck back there."

Dale frowned a bit but kept his mouth shut for the moment. He would maybe mention something to Rick, the unofficial leader of their group, later. Right now, they would focus on getting to the farm.

"Let's start packing up and gather some more supplies. They should wake up soon and we can head out to the farm." He said.

Carol nodded her head and went to fetch Andrea before doing what the man commanded.

* * *

Daryl awoke to the hot sun beating down on his tanned face. He used a hand to wipe at his face, helping him wake up. He felt something curled against his side and looked down to see Grace with her face tucked away in his chest. He looked back up as he remembered the events of yesterday and let out a tiny sigh. The girl was driving him crazy. She made him feel things that he knew the others would question because she was significantly younger than him. But he couldn't control himself once he felt the hunger to taste her, to make her moan, to touch her hot, soft skin.

Even looking at her now, he couldn't help but reach his free hand over to her and run his fingers through her soft curly hair. Everything about her was soft and fragile, completely opposite of himself. She was innocent, young, and meek while he had experienced way too many hardships in his life to ever be as she was. He knew in any other the world; he wouldn't have spared Grace a second look if he had seen her. She was one of those girls who were off-limits to him. Too young, too innocent, too protected, too beautiful to even be touched by his filthy fingers. But here she was now; snuggled into his chest, holding onto him as though he was the only thing she had left in the world.

He continued to play with her hair, its softness a nice feeling against his calloused fingers. He didn't deserve someone as compassionate as Grace. He was too mean and too rough for someone like her. But she stuck to him like glue, confusing the hell out of the man. For some reason, she trusted him. Enough to sleep silently next to him, trusting that he wouldn't do anything to her in the middle of the night like Shane, that he wouldn't leave her to be killed by walkers if they came. He felt a weird feeling creep its way through his body, something he hadn't felt in a long time and couldn't quite recognize.

He looked down at the girl he had claimed as his, at the small bruise on her neck from where he had abused the sensitive skin, to her frazzled hair that he pulled and tugged on. He could feel her soft breath on his chest as her small fist clutched his shirt. He brushed some of her long hair out of her face, noticing her serene look. It was an image he was sure would never leave his mind.

He heard the group making some noise from a distance away. He figured they were packing up and gathering some last minute supplies before they would go meet the group at the farm. He realized it was time to get up and go help. They needed to get off this highway before another herd of walkers passed through. He didn't want to put Grace in that situation again, remembering the terrified look on her face as she laid under the car and he didn't want a repeat of what happened last time, remembering the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach as he watched Grace being chased away by the walkers.

He leaned down to the girl and placed a kiss on her forehead, stirring her. She opened her blue eyes slowly, tiredness still present in them. She took a deep breath and then looked around, noticing where she was. She released his shirt from her fist and rubbed her eyes to wake herself up.

"Come on, Baby girl." Daryl whispered, "Time to get up."

She looked up at him and her cheeks turned a light pink as she remembered the events of last night. She felt incredibly embarrassed when she remembered how she had tried to unbutton Daryl's jeans and felt relieved that he had stopped her. She almost committed one of the biggest sins because of her lapse of judgment due to recent events. But Daryl had stopped her because he knew she wasn't ready for that. She had just wanted to forget about all the pain of finding her best friend dead and having to kill Bobby, that she acting uncharacteristically. She prayed to God for forgiveness for her mistake and sat up slowly, stretching out her back.

Daryl got up next to her as well and slid himself off the truck. Grace removed the blanket from under her and folded it neatly. She handed it to Daryl who placed it in one of his bags that he strung on his shoulder. He picked up his crossbow and held out a hand to Grace to help her get off the truck with her hurt ankle. As soon as her bare feet touched the hot concrete, she cringed at the pain. Daryl noticed and looked down to see she wasn't wearing shoes.

"Where's yer shoes?" He asked, his voice deeper than normal because he just woke up.

"In the RV." Grace answered as her feet continued to burn.

The older man let out a little breath before stringing his crossbow around his free shoulder and lifting the girl into his arms with the upmost ease. She wrapped her arms around his neck like she had done yesterday and he began to carry her back to the RV.

"What were ya' doin' walkin' around with no shoes yesterday, ya' dumb girl?" He grunted into her ear.

"Looking for you." She said, looking up at him through her long eyelashes as her cheek blushed.

"Well next time ya' go looking for me, put some damn shoes on." He hissed but pressed a kiss onto the side of her forehead.

The group looked up at them as they got closer. Daryl saw Dale looked at him with judging and cautious eyes and fought the urge to roll his eyes at the man. He needed to mind his own business. He sat Grace down in front of the RV and watched as she quickly hopped inside, trying to keep the pressure off her ankle. He threw his bags into the RV as well before facing the group.

"We're gathering some last minute supplies before heading to the farm." Andrea informed him and Daryl nodded his head.

He began to help them search through a few more cars, collecting some things that he thought the group would need some time or another. He walked up to one of the cars and noticed a walker alive in it, but strapped down by the seatbelt keeping it in the car. He scoffed at how stupid the things were and popped open the truck to look through it. He felt someone walk up beside him and looked to see Andrea staring at the walker.

"Aren't you going to kill it?" She asked.

Daryl glanced at her for a moment, "No. It ain't gonna' hurt no one."

Andrea looked at the walker closer and noticed that it had a gunshot wound on the back of its neck.

"He tried to kill himself." She said, noticing the gun next to it, "Didn't shoot his brain though."

"Dumb fucker." Daryl grunted.

Andrea looked at him harshly, "We can't leave him here like this."

"Sure we can." Daryl said roughly, still digging through the stuff in the trunk.

He felt Andrea try to grab at his crossbow and quickly moved it away from her reach and glared at her.

"Look woman, ya' want to kill the thing, then do it yerself." He hissed, "Ya' have a gun, don't ya'?"

Andrea crossed her arms and glared back at him, "Dale won't let me have it. Thinks I'm going to kill myself."

"Well, are ya'?" He asked.

"Answer for an arrow." She said.

Daryl rolled his eyes at her but wanted the woman to shut up. He lifted his crossbow up, lined it up with the thing's head, and quickly shot it, making a clean sweep through the brain. The walker stopped its moaning and groaning as it slumped over in its seat.

"So are ya' gonna' kill yerself?" Daryl asked as Andrea moved towards the walker to pull the arrow from its head.

Andrea sighed and looked down, "I don't know."

Daryl glanced up at her for a moment before speaking, "Well that answer ain't worth an arrow."

He reached for the arrow in the blonde woman's hands, but she quickly retracted it. He looked at her in annoyance.

"What are ya' doing?" He asked, roughly.

"What's going on between you and Grace?" She asked.

Daryl wanted to roll his eyes again; people needed to mind their own business.

"Nothin'." He answered, "Now give me my arrow back."

"An answer for an arrow." The woman said, using his words against him.

Daryl actually rolled his eyes this time, "Look lady, ain't nothin' going on between us that ya' need to know about. Girl sticks around me because ya' people are annoyin' as hell."

Andrea didn't buy his answer and still refused to give him the arrow. Daryl could hear the RV door opening and turned around to see Grace stepping out with her boots on this time. The sun touched her light hair, making it glimmer as her skin glistened in the sun. She was wearing a new pair of white shorts that made her skin look tanner by contrast and a light pink tank-top. Andrea watched Daryl closely as he studied the girl.

He turned around and started digging through the trunk again, shaking his head. Andrea bit back a smirk before tossing the arrow at him. He caught it and looked at her, confused.

She noticed his expression and said cryptically, "An answer for an arrow, right?"

She walked away, leaving Daryl completely confused.

* * *

When they first arrived at the Farm, Sophia and Grace had been the first ones to leave the RV, running up the house to check on Carl. A girl named Maggie showed them where he was staying and Grace quickly drew Lori in a hug. The older woman accepted the young girl's hug and rubbed her back for a moment before releasing her. She hugged Rick next, who also hugged her back for a moment for she pulled away.

"Is he going to be alright?" She asked the concern evident in her voice.

Sophia sat next to the bedside, looking over her friend with the same concern and worry.

Rick nodded, smiling at her concern, "He's going to be just fine thanks to Hershel and Shane."

Grace let out a little breath and looked down to the sleeping boy. He was pale and looked weak and the sight broke her heart. She was used to seeing him full of life, running around with Sophia. She then noticed an older man sitting next to him who looked a little similar to her father. She quickly forgot about that thought as the memory of her father brought tears to her eyes. She quickly bit back the tears, remembering Daryl's words not to cry.

"Hershel, this is Sophia and Grace." Rick introduced to the older man, "Girls, this is Hershel Greene."

Sophia looked at the older man curiously while Grace said, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Greene."

Hershel looked up at the young, polite girl and figured this was the preacher's daughter that Rick had told him about. He gave her a little nod and went back to checking the boy's blood pressure. Grace noticed that they were busy and decided that she and Sophia should probably give the doctor some space.

"I'm really glad Carl's going to be okay." She said, rubbing Lori's shoulder before grabbing Sophia's hand, "Let's go help everyone unpack, Sophia."

Rick gave her a tiny nod and a smile as she pulled the younger girl out of the room.

They walked out of the house again and back to the RV, telling everyone that had stayed the night on the highway that Carl was going to be okay. Carol let out a sigh of relief and Dale smiled at the news. Grace noticed Daryl wasn't around and looked to see him setting up his tent farther away from the RV. She bit her lip and turned back around, noticing Dale and Andrea staring at her. Her cheeks turned a light red at being caught and she dropped Sophia's hand.

"Do you guys need help unpacking?" She asked lightly.

"We've got it covered, sweetheart." Dale said kindly.

Andrea grabbed a few bags from the floor and held them out to the younger girl, "But you can bring Daryl his bags."

She watched Grace grab the bags from her hand. Grace looked up at her and saw her small smile and the look in her eyes that read 'I know something that you don't.' Grace's eyebrows pulled together in confusion but she shook the feeling away, figuring it was nothing. She turned away from the group and walked towards Daryl. She was stopped by Glenn however, who threw his arms around the small girl. She dropped the bags on the floor in surprise, but hugged him back after a moment.

"Grace, you scared the hell out of me yesterday." The boy whispered in her ear, "I thought you had been bit or something."

Grace remember how she had growled at the boy, not wanting him to get close to Bobby's dead body and instantly felt guilty. Glenn was her best friend and she treated him really badly yesterday. She pulled away from him slightly put kept her small hands on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry Glenn." She said, sincerely.

Glenn smiled at her, "As long as you never do it again."

He held out his pinky to her and she giggled, sliding her pinky into his.

"I pinky promise." She said.

"Good." He said and then noticed the bags on the floor, "Whose bags are these?"

"Daryl's." She said, her cheeks turning pink.

Glenn looked up at her before smirking a little, "I know something's going on between you and Daryl."

She felt herself blush even more, "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb, Grace." He said, "I see the way you look at him."

"Yeah? Well I saw the way you were looking at Maggie when we pulled up." She bit back, "Got a thing for the farmer's daughter."

"No!" Glenn said quickly, but his pink cheeks gave him away.

Grace poked him in the stomach, amusement in her eyes and he knew that he's little lie didn't convince her.

"I have a thing for the preacher's daughter, though." Glenn joked, tickling her sides.

She giggled at his touch and tried to push him away, but he easily overpowered her and continued to assault the ticklish parts of her body. Her cheeks turned redder as she continued to giggle uncontrollably.

"Glenn, stop!" She pleaded, still giggling.

But the boy just laughed, "Say it! Say mercy!"

"Never!" Grace shouted, "Stop Glenn, or I'll kick your butt."

"What did you say?" He asked, still tickling her.

"I said I'll kick your butt!" She yelled out again, still laughing.

He hoisted her over his shoulder suddenly, dangling her upside down as she got a nice view of his butt. She pounded on his back to drop her but he just stumbled a little before picking up the bags from the floor. He began to march away with Grace still hanging over his back.

"Glenn, put me down!" She called out, still pounding on his back.

He just laughed at her and made his way over to Daryl who looked at them as though they were crazy. He dropped the bag by the man's tent and then dropped Grace on the floor. She landed on her bed and glared up at him, crossing her arms. The sight made Glenn laugh even more.

"You better teach your little dog better, Daryl." Glenn joked, "She's been running that mouth of hers."

The Asian boy ran off before either of them could say anything. Daryl glanced down at the girl, eyebrows raised. She blushed at his look and quickly stood up, dusting the grass off of her shorts. Daryl went back to setting up his tent.

"Glenn's a jerk." The girl muttered, face still red.

Daryl looked at her for a moment, noticing her angry expression. Her eyes were narrowed, her small nose scrunched up, her cheeks red, and her lips in a little pout. He couldn't help but laugh at her expression. She wasn't intimidating at all when she was angry.

Grace heard Daryl laughing, a foreign sound to her ears. But she decided she liked the sound of his laughter and her own face smoothed out into a smile hearing it. She bent down and grabbed the bags to arrange them more neatly since Glenn had just thrown them on the ground. Daryl finished setting up his tent quickly and turned to look at the girl who was standing beside him, fiddling with her necklace.

Shane walked up behind her quickly.

" 'Ey Dixon, Rick wants us to check the borders, make sure this place is safe." The man said. Daryl noticed Grace tense up at the man's voice, her body completely stiff as her eyes widened with fear. Daryl nodded at the man who didn't notice Grace's behavior since he was behind him. He walked away but Grace was still tensed. Daryl made sure no one was watching before grabbing Grace by the hips and dragging her closer to him. She looked up at him with her wide, blue eyes.

"Hey, he's not gonna' hurt ya' anymore, okay?" He whispered, pulling her closer.

She nodded a little and Daryl leaned down, pressing his lips to her's. One of his hands slid up to hold the side of her face as he deepened the kiss while the other grabbed onto the skin of her hip roughly. He felt Grace place a hand on his muscular chest as she melted into his touch, her skin heating up. He nipped at her bottom lip, eliciting a moan from the young girl before sliding his tongue across it. Grace pulled away for a second, but stayed close enough that she could feel his breath across her lips.

"I've never given a French kiss before." She said, shyly, her cheeks flaming.

Daryl bent down to give her a quick kiss for a second, her innocence turning him on even more.

"Watch, it's easy." He hissed into her ear, face still close to her's, "Ya' just open yer mouth and I'll open mine."

He paused to press another kiss to her soft lips.

"And we wriggle our tongues together." He said, his voice rough with his desire. He bent down to press another kiss to her plump lips, and she opened them hesitantly. He sucked on her tongue for a moment before pulling away.

"And it feels real good." He hissed as she looked at him through her eyelashes, cheeks still red. (*)

He bent down once more, moving the hand that was on her face to the back of her neck, pulling her in roughly and he kissed her deeply. He ran his tongue across her body lip and this time she opened her lips for. He slowly entered his tongue into her mouth, making sure she wasn't uncomfortable before gently massaging her tongue with his. Her body relaxed against his at the sensation, encouraging Daryl to keep going. The deeper kiss created more passion and she began responding vigorously to his touches. He could feel her moans vibrate through her throat as his thumb worked circles into the soft skin on the back of her neck. He continued to kiss her roughly before she pulled away from him, completely breathless. He placed his forehead against her's and gave her lips a quick kiss before tilting her head to the side to suck on the skin underneath her jaw while she caught her breath.

"Daryl." She breathed out, causing the man to growl at the sound.

He continued his assault on her neck, turning the sensitive skin red. He nipped at it with his teeth before kissing it lightly and pulling away. He needed to start his patrol or Shane would come find him once he noticed he wasn't scooping the area. He placed another kiss on her lips before removing his hand from the back of her neck. He kissed her forehead once before pulling away from her body altogether. She frowned a little as he left her and it took all his will power not to return to the girl and continue to claim her as his.

"I need to go patrol." He grunted, grabbing his crossbow off the floor.

She nodded her head, cheeks still red.

"Why don't ya' go run off and see it Carol needs help with Sophia or somethin'?" Daryl said, grabbing his gun from the back of the motorcycle. She nodded her head again but didn't move from her spot yet.

He walked passed her and smacked her on the butt, making her gasp and her cheeks turn brighter. The sight made Daryl smirk.

"And don't go runnin' that mouth of yer's again." He said, referring to what Glenn had said earlier, before walking off.

* * *

Carol, who finished unpacking her's and Sophia's things, entered the house to check on Lori and her family. Sophia went along with her, eager for her friend to wake up. She walked into the room. Rick was sitting by Carl's side but Lori wasn't in the room anymore. Rick looked up when they walked in and Sophia ran to the side of the bed.

"How's he doing?" Carol asked gently.

"Hershel said he should wake up soon." Rick said, looking drained, "But he's good now thanks to Hershel and his family and Shane."

Carol nodded, smiling a little as she looked down at the boy, happy he was doing better.

"Where's Lori?" She asked.

"Went out to get some air." Rick answered. Carol nodded and left the room to go look for the woman. She found her on the back porch, gazing out to the farm. Carol walked up behind her and rubbed her shoulder gently.

"How are you going?" She asked the beautiful mother.

Lori turned her head up to smile at the other woman, "Just fine now. But I wish there was something I could do show Hershel how thankful we are that he saved Carl."

"Well, why don't we go ask one of the girls if they need help cleaning around the house?" Carol said, "It's not much, but anything we can do to help would probably be appreciated."

Lori nodded in agreement and walked into the house with the other woman. They found Maggie in the kitchen, sweeping up the floor. She looked up at them as they walked in.

"Need help with anything?" Lori asked the young girl.

"If you want to help out, mind doing the dishes." Maggie said, nodding towards the sink filled with dirty dishes, "We don't have a dish washer."

The two women nodded, happy to help with anything. They quickly got to work, Lori scrubbing the dishes and Carol rinsing and drying them off. They worked in silence for a few moments before Carol looked out the window and noticed Grace standing next to Daryl as he set up his tent. She frowned a bit as she watched them.

"What do you thinks going on between those two?" She asked Lori, gesturing to the pair.

Lori looked out the window to see what she was looking at.

"I suppose Grace trusts him." Lori answered, "He was the one who brought her to us, after all. He's saved her life more than once."

"Yeah, you're right." Carol said, "But I'm more curious about his behavior with her. Grace is a sweet girl, but Daryl isn't very nice. But the way he was treatin' her the other day, seemed a little odd."

"That was a little odd." Lori said, narrowing her eyes in thought, "I've never seen him so worried about anything except maybe when Merle got left behind."

"And the way he was so protective of her." Carol chimed in, "Making sure she was okay, letting her cling to him like that, taking care of her wounds."

"Are ya'll talking about that little blonde girl and the hunter?" Maggie said from across the room, "Glenn mentioned something to me about them. Said he thought something weird was going on."

"So Glenn noticed something too." Carol said, "You know, Grace disappeared last night and I found them this morning sleeping on the bed of some truck. She was curled up against Daryl and he was holding her like a man holds his wife."

Lori looked at her in shock, "This morning?"

Carol nodded and they both looked back outside to watch the pair for a little longer. When they saw Shane approaching them, they both looked away, going back to washing the dishes. It was silent for a few more minutes as they focused on their job. Lori asked Carol about how Sophia was doing after the little fright she had and Carol told her that she was slowly getting over it and how grateful she was that Grace had protected the girl. After that, the room went silent again before Carol looked up at the pair again. Lori followed her gaze as well, just as curious.

Daryl was strapping his crossbow around the shoulder as he said something to the small girl who was just standing there. They could see her nod her head, causing her blonde curls to swing around. They watched as Daryl started to walk past the girl before smacking her in the butt and whispering something to her. Lori dropped the plate she was washing in surprise, causing some water and soap to splash onto her in the counter. She exchanged shocked looks with Carol.

"Did he just-?" Lori asked in shock.

"He did." Carol said her eyes wide.

"Something's definitely going on between those two." Lori muttered, not believing her eyes, "Should we mention anything to anyone? Maybe to Rick?"

"What can he do?" Carol asked, looking at the woman, "Besides, I think it's kind of cute, Grace and Daryl."

Lori looked at her in surprise, "Carol, the man's at least ten years older than her."

"Sometimes people fall in love in the strangest ways." Carol said.

"You think he loves her?" Lori asked. She couldn't imagine Daryl loving anyone.

Carol shook her head, "Maybe not yet. But who knows?"

"Have you been drinking, Carol?" Lori joked, "This is Daryl Dixon were talking about."

Carol laughed for a bit before shrugging her shoulders, "I think he's a good man. He's just a little rough."

Lori looked at her for a moment before shaking her head and going back to washing the dishes.

"So you have been drinking."

The women laughed as they continued to wash dishes.

* * *

Grace's eyes caught sight of Hershel sitting on a little bench on his front porch. She bit her lip as she stared at him. She wanted to talk to him, thank him for taking them in but the man looked so peaceful sitting there, staring over his farm, that she was hesitant. But she couldn't help but feel that she owed the man a lot. They all did. He had taken them in without question, helped Carl and his family and had provided them with a safe place to stay. So she walked up to him and he glanced at her as she moved into the area next to him before looking back out at the farm.

"It's beautiful." Grace said, softly, looking over the farm as well.

The man glanced at her again but still remained silent so Grace sat down on the bench next to him, fiddling with her cross necklace.

"It was really kind of you to take us in." She said, her voice still as light as a feather, "And to help Carl. I know Rick is internally grateful for what you did. We all are. I mean, we're strangers, yet you've accepted us without any questions. I don't know how to thank you, Mr. Greene."

"I do what I can." Hershel answered, "But as I've told Rick, I'm not sure how long I can keep you all here. I have to keep my family protected."

Grace couldn't help but be reminded of her own father. He had said those exact words before. Her father was a kind, compassionate man. Much similar to herself. He would help out in any way he could, but his family would always come first. He was very protective over Grace and her mother. He would cut off his own limbs to make sure they were never hurt. Grace had to stop herself from tearing up just thinking about him. She loved him very much and sitting here, looking at Hershel, he reminded her exactly of him.

"I understand." Grace said, "My father was the same way, always looking out for me and my mom. You remind me of him, you know."

Hershel looked at her, "Rick told me about him. Preacher, wasn't he?"

Grace nodded her head and a small smile formed on her lips as she thought about him, "Kindest man I knew. He loved everybody and he always tried to take care of everyone, even if it put his own life at stake. I see them same kindness and love in you, Mr. Greene. God has bestowed his faith in the right man to find us. I'm not sure many people would've taken us in like you did."

Hershel couldn't help but feel himself relax with the girl's presence. He looked at her again and couldn't help but notice how much she looked like his youngest daughter. Her light blonde hair, pure blue eyes and innocent smile. He smiled a little at the young girl; it was hard not to. Her kind words meant a lot to Hershel, who was still struggling with the choice of taking them in. And as she mentioned God, he couldn't stop himself from wondering if this was God's plan after all. If he had led this group here for protection and had taken his trust in Hershel to provide them with it. But they were strangers, and he wasn't sure he could trust them with his small family who has faced such a great loss of losing a mother and now Otis.

"If your father was how you described him, it's clear that you take after him." Hershel said to the young girl, "God has given me many tests in the past month but I'll still keep my faith in him that he will provide us with his unconditional love. It's all we have right now. Family and God."

Grace agreed with him, thinking of how the group had become something of a second family to her.

"God works in mysterious ways sometimes." Grace said, "But I've never doubted his love, even during times like this."

"Your father raised you well." Hershel said, deciding to himself that he liked the girl.

She beamed at him and stood up from her seat, "He was a great man and I'm sure you are too. I'll leave you to your thoughts now."

Grace walked down the steps of the front porch and was about to go back to the RV when she saw Andrea sitting a few ways off from the group. Her shoulders slumped over and her hair covering her face. Grace frowned a little. The woman hadn't been the same ever since the CDC and Grace wasn't really sure what was wrong with her. She knew Andrea was a strong woman. That was very clear but with the death of her sister, it seemed most of her inner strength was gone. At times like this, it was crucial to remain strong and Grace didn't want to see Andrea writher away. She cared for Amy and she cared for Andrea.

With that thought in her mind she walked up to the older woman and sat down next to her. Andrea didn't even look at the girl as she took the spot next to her. Grace studied her for a second before speaking.

"The farm's beautiful, don't you think?" She asked, looking over the pasture.

The older woman looked up as well, noticing her environment.

"Yeah." She agreed, but she sounded so distant.

Grace let out a small sigh, "Things have been hard for you, Andrea. It's perfectly normal to feel what you're feeling. And I understand. I lost my family too."

"You don't have to play therapist with me, Grace." Andrea said, "Dale does that enough."

Grace agreed. She didn't want to play therapist. She had worked with some suicidal girls during one of her mission trips for church. It had been her job to try and get them back on the path of God. But it took her awhile to break through their barriers and she realized something about suicidal people. You can't try to live for them and you can't make their decisions for them. You have to let them see that they want to live, for themselves. They have to make the decision and you just have to trust that if you show them enough support, they will make the right choice.

"I'm not trying to play therapist with you, Andrea." Grace said, "You don't need a therapist. What you need is to make your choice on your own. I can't make it, Dale can't make it for you, and no one can. You need to look inside yourself and see that you want to live, not for anyone, but for yourself. I know you, Andrea. You're a strong girl and I know you can make that decision on your own."

Andrea finally looked at the younger girl, "Well nobody's letting make the decision. They take my gun away and watch me like I'm some unstable person."

Grace looked over her face for a minute before standing up, "I'll be right back."

Andrea nodded at her, a little confused but went back to the position she was originally in. Grace walked to the RV with conviction. She knew what Andrea needed right now and she knew she would make the right decision when she presented her with the choices. She walked up the small step into the RV. Dale was inside, but was reading some book on the bed in the other room. He noticed her presence but didn't pay attention to her all that much. He was supposed to be watching over the guns but he knew Grace wouldn't take one.

But that was exactly what Grace was doing and she knew Dale didn't suspect anything of her, which helped make her decision. She looked at him for a moment to make sure he went back to reading his book before opening the cupboard when she knew he kept the guns hidden. She spotted Andrea's gun, a small black revolver and grabbed it quickly; sliding it into her waistband and pulling her shirt over it so it was hidden. She closed the cupboard and walked out of the RV quickly before Dale looked at her.

She kept her eyes down as she tried to quickly walk back to Andrea. She didn't want anyone to notice her or catch her. She was a horrible liar and it wouldn't be hard to get a confession out of the young girl. So she tried to avoid eye contact with anyone so they wouldn't try to talk with them and hurried over to where the woman sat.

She didn't get very far from the RV when she knocked straight into something hard. She looked up to see Daryl staring down at her, eyebrows raised. He had noticed her strange behavior.

"What are ya' up to, Baby girl?" He asked suspiciously.

"Nothing." She muttered, looking away from the man, her cheeks turning pink.

He noticed a weird bulge in the waistline of her shorts and observed it for a moment. It looked oddly similar to the outline of a gun. He hooked his finger around her belt loop and pulled her close and she let him grab her. She let out a gasp as the man slide his hands down her shorts, her cheeks turning even brighter. He quickly pulled the gun out and looked at it for a moment before studying her face.

"Now what are ya' doin' with a gun?" He asked.

She looked at him for a moment before shifting her eyes again, "Uh, Rick sent me to get him one of the guns. Said he needed it for his patrol but he wanted to talk to Lori for a little bit so he asked me to fetch it for him."

Daryl knew T-dog had taken up patrol for Rick who wanted to stay with his son and saw right through her lie.

"T-dog's on patrol right now." Daryl said, "Grimes said he wanted to stay with his son."

The girl's cheeks turned even redder and she began to stumble over her words, "Did I say Rick? I meant T-dog."

Daryl smirked at the girl before pulling her even closer to his body. His hand grasped her hip firmly, rising up the thin tank-top so his fingers pressed into her bare skin. He leaned his head down by her ear and kissed it softly, watching her close her eyes and shudder as he did so. He moved down to her neck and placed another kiss there, nipping at the skin. He knew it was going to get her all hot and bothered, and she wouldn't be able to keep any secrets from him once he got her going. So he took his sweet time, making sure to run his lips across every sensitive part on her neck.

"Are ya' goin' to tell me what ya' were really doin' with this gun?" He hissed into her in ear.

This time he moved his lips down to her jaw line, kissing the skin that had recently healed from the bruise Ed had given her. He nipped at that skin too; this time harder which caused the girl to lean her head back and moan a little at his touch. He moved the hand that was on her hip to her hair, gripping it roughly and tugging on it to get her to move her head further back and allow him better access to the sensitive skin. He kissed and sucked on the skin for a few more moments before pulling back just a tad so he could see her face. She opened his eyes and stared at him through heavy lids.

"Tell me." He whispered, his hot breath coating her lips.

She swallowed hard but couldn't help it as the answer came sliding out of her mouth, "I'm giving Andrea her gun back."

Daryl, satisfied that it was so easy to get the little lie out of her, backed away a little more to look down at the gun in his hand. His other hand moved back to her hip, resting there as his body stayed close to her.

"Yer gonna' give the suicidal girl a gun?" He asked, his voice rough, "Maybe ya' ain't as innocence as I thought ya' were."

Grace's face turned even redder if that was even possible, "Andrea won't kill herself. I know she won't. She just has to realize that."

"And what if yer wrong?" He asked.

"I'm not." She answered quickly.

Daryl looked at her doubtfully, "If ya' say so. But don't come runnin' to me when yer little blonde friend blows her brains out."

Grace just stared at with her big blue eyes and he let out a tiny sigh and slid the gun back into the waistline of her shorts.

"Alright, go do yer preacher girl thing." He grunted, "But come back to my tent when yer done."

He stared to walk away, but as he passed her, he smacked her on the ass, similar to this morning. She let out a little gasp at the feeling and her cheeks turned a bright red. Daryl smirked at his effect and kept walking. Grace froze for a moment, feeling sparks running down her spine. She straightened out her shirt that had lifted up. She couldn't help but feel the desire running through her veins, but she quickly shook her head, ridding herself of the thoughts. She needed to go talk to Andrea.

Grace quickly walked up to the woman, who looked at her frazzled hair and red cheeks curiously. She didn't have time to question the younger girl though, as Grace pulled out the gun and held it out to her. Andrea looked down at it in shock and then back up at the preacher's daughter. She stood up quickly.

"Grace, did you steal that?" She asked.

The girl nodded her head, "You said it wasn't fair that they were treating you like some unstable person and making all your decision for you. I agreed. I know you want to live, Andrea. I just want you to see it for yourself. So take the gun, or don't take the gun. It's entirely up to you. But I'm giving you the choice since that's what you want. I know you'll make the right decision."

Andrea stared at the girl closely before looking down at the gun. It seemed as though the easier choice would be to take the gun and end all of this; her suffering, her grief, her guilt, her pain. But then she thought of Amy. If things had been the other way around, she wouldn't want her sister to take that route. She would want her to keep living and surviving. And she knew that's what Amy wanted for her. But did she want that? Did she want to keep living and surviving? It was getting harder to do that each day, but there was a feeling in her heart that never seemed to go away. It was a shroud of hope that one day things might get better. It was small, yes, but it was there.

She looked down at the gun again. Was that hope enough to keep her going? She bit her lip as she continued her deep thoughts. Living was hard, harder than she could ever imagine. But looking around at the farm, she knew she had people who cared about her here. In some weird, twisted way, they were all a family now. A very dysfunctional family. But they cared for one another and always tried to do what was best for the group, even if that meant putting their own life in danger. Things might be tough and she might have lost her sister, but everyone here was dealing with the same thing. They all lost people they cared about, they all cried over loved ones, and they all felt the pain of living.

But a little shroud of hope that there might be a solution to the problem, a beckon of light in the darkness, kept each of them going for different reasons. So what was her reason to keep going? To maybe find her parents, see if they were okay? To continue to live her life in what was left of the world? Or maybe it was to let Amy live through her, because her life got ended so quickly. Or maybe it was all of those reasons. Andrea began to realize that she had reasons to live. Reasons that out-weighed the pain she was feeling currently.

So with a heavy voice she finally gave her answer, "Take it away."

Grace looked at her closely, "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Andrea said, looking at the younger girl, "I'm sure."

Grace couldn't help as a smile passed over her face. She had known Andrea had it in her to finally realize she wanted to live, that she needed to live. She rubbed the older woman's arm slightly and began to walk away. However, she decided against it. She turned back around and called Andrea's attention again. When the woman was looking at her, she tossed her the gun lightly. Andrea caught it in her hand and looked at her confused.

"You might want to ask Rick to put you on patrol." Grace said with a small smile.

The woman looked down at the gun and then slid it into the waistband of her pants. This girl wasn't as naïve as they all thought she was. She held wisdom in her that proceeded her age and she might be innocent, but she wasn't stupid. She was beginning to respect the small girl more and more every day.

Andrea looked at the young girl again before allowing a small smile to coat her face.

* * *

**Author's Note: **SO there ya' have it! The questions begin! I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Things are getting pretty sexy now ;) How do you guy's think Grace's morals are going to affect how far she'll let Daryl go? Or do you think he'll be able to convince her to get it on? Also, how do you think Grace is going to react when she finds out Glenn and Maggie have something going on? Ah, so many things are going to happen now that we're at season 2! Leave a review and let me know what you think! Thank you for reading my little walkers! Until next time (:

***So if any of you have seen Cry Baby, you'll recognize this scene when Johnny Depp teaches Allison how to french kiss. I used it because I'm just about as innocent as Grace is when it comes to french kissing and had no idea how to write that scene haha (:**


	10. Spark's Fly

***Almost at 100 reviews! Thanks for much for the support everyone! Continue to leave me those beautiful reviews! I do read each and every one of them and I keep them in mind when I write new chapters so it's incredibly helpful! Thank you all so much! (:**

**The-uncanny: **Ah, I'm glad you love it! I was tempted to write a story about some badass chick who knows, but the thought of Daryl and some preacher's daughter seemed so delightful to me haha. It's been so fun to write so far! And Grace's religion is definitely going to start coming into play as things get more intimate. It's going to be interesting as she continues to develop and I won't give any spoilers for further chapters, but I'll just put this out there, things are going to get reallll interesting haha. Thanks for the review! Hope you enjoy this chapter! (:

**Taylor Allie: **I love feels! :* I'm glad you've been enjoying this story! Hope you like this new update!(:

**Archnemeses: **LOLOLOLOL the thought of Daryl getting married is sooo funny to me for some reason. Not going to lie, it'd be sooo cute to see them get married. haha who knows what will happen ;) well, I guess I do hahah but I'm glad you liked my last update and I hope you enjoy this one as well! (:

**EdibethKain: **Dude, I am right there with you. If this was my life, I would not be able to control myself. I'd be kinda pathetic actually. I would just be like "TAKE ME DARYL!". BUT HONESTLY, no shame man. He's just soo sexyy I can't handle it. Hope you enjoy this chapter! (:

**Leyshla Gisel: **Rough Daryl gives me so many feels haha. And I probably should have looked up Andrea's gun haha. Thanks for the information! Hope you enjoy this chapter (:

**Emberka-2012: **I agree. Daryl has some morals haha. I just want to say, I'm so appreciative that you have been a loyal reader and reviewer! Thank you so much! Hope you enjoy this chapter! (:

**Snemes: **I was just about to publish this went I got the email that you reviewed and had to add this in haha. I'm glad you enjoyed the new chapters! Things are getting steamy, yes. But one thing you said kinda confused me because I'm pretty sure Daryl's my boyfriend ;) ahah jkjk I wish. Hope you enjoy this chapter! (:

**Huge thanks to , GodComplexX, Orcafan1, Katara Melody Cullen, Little Miss Michelle, Joey Vitelli and Shippolove844! I love all my followers and reviewers! Thank you all so much and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well! Let's get this show on the road little walkers! (:**

* * *

**Safe and Sound**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Spark's Fly**

* * *

It was nighttime and Grace had just finished helping Carol hang up some wet clothes on the line so they would dry by the morning. It had been a long day and she was getting tired. All she wanted to do was change into some comfortable clothes and lay down, but when she went to the tent her and Glenn shared, she could see the outline of Maggie through the thin fabric. She bit her lip as she hesitated outside. She knew Glenn had a thing for the pretty girl and she didn't want to interrupt their alone time. She thought it was cute after all and Glenn deserved a nice girl. With that thought in her mind, she turned around and walked away. She stood in the middle of the quiet camp for a few moments, not sure where she should go. Carol was sleeping in a tent with Sophia and it was small so she knew she wouldn't fit. Carl's family was still inside Hershel's house, watching over the small boy as he recovered from surgery. Shane had disappeared awhile ago, probably for Patrol. She didn't want to go sleep in T-dog's tent because that felt awkward. Andrea was asleep in the RV while Dale took watch on the top.

Grace looked over at Daryl's tent and hesitated for a moment. She had bothered the man enough in the past days, but for some reason, when she was sleeping next to his side she felt the safest she's ever felt since the world went to hell. But she couldn't help but still be intimidated by Daryl, even after all this time. But she had nowhere else to go and she still didn't want to bother Glenn and Maggie. So she walked up to the older man's tent, biting her lip.

"Daryl?" She called out lightly, standing in front of the tent.

She watched as he pulled the zipper down from inside the tent and she was met with the sight of him…without a shirt on. Her face instantly turned red as she shifted her eyes away from his torso to stare at the top of the tent.

"What do ya' need?" The man asked his voice rough.

"Um, Glenn and Maggie are, um, in our tent and I, uh, well-"Grace sputtered out, trying not to look at the man's bare torso.

"Spit it out, girl." Daryl grunted, "I ain't got all day."

Grace took a deep breath as she continued to focus on the top of the tent, her cheeks aflame, "I don't have anywhere to go."

"And that's my problem?" Daryl said.

Grace glanced down at him for a moment before her eyes slid over his toned, bare chest. The sight was enough to cause her heart to skip a beat.

"Well no, I just…" Grace said, looking down at her hands as she fiddled with her shirt.

Daryl smirked at her red cheeks and held the tent open wider, "Come on."

Grace looked at him for a second before entering the tent. She sat down in the corner next to his bags, feeling a little out of place. There was obviously only one sleeping bag and her's was still in the tent that Glenn and Maggie occupied.

"There's a blanket in that bag over there." Daryl grunted as he picked up the hunter knife he had been cleaning and set it aside.

Grace pulled out the blanket from the bag he had pointed to. It was the same one he had used on the truck a week ago. She spread it out on the floor before sitting on top of it, pulling her knees into her chest. It was starting to get cold outside as time went on, but all of Grace's jackets were with Glenn and Maggie. She let out a little sigh as she placed her head on her knees.

Daryl looked over at the young girl, her soft curly hair falling in waves down to her lower back as she pressed her rosy cheeks against her creamy legs. He scooted closer to her and noticed the goose bumps running down her arms.

"Don't ya' have some warmer clothes?" He asked the girl.

"In my tent with Glenn and Maggie." She replied, not moving from her position.

He moved his body a little closer to hers and ran his hands up and down her arms to help keep the small girl warm. She relaxed at his touch, the tension in her body soothing out.

"What are they doin' in there?" He asked.

"Talking, I think." She answered, "Glenn likes her and I didn't want to interrupt."

"Chinaman has a thing for the farmer's daughter?" Daryl asked, laughing to himself at that thought.

Grace shrugged her shoulders, "I think it's cute."

"Ya' think everything's cute." Daryl grunted, "Even dead rabbits."

Grace looked up at him suddenly with her big blue eyes.

"Daryl, that's so sad." She said, "Why would you talk about dead rabbits?"

"Didn't ya' say somethin' about huntin' with your pop?" He asked.

"He taught me to hunt." Grace answered, still looking up at him, "But I never went with him on his trips. I don't like watching things be killed."

"Not even stupid squirrels?" He snipped.

Grace's eyes widened at the thought of little squirrels being harmed and she pouted her lips, "Daryl!"

He laughed at her expression before leaning down to press a rough kiss on her soft lips. Her eye's fluttered shut at his touch as she kissed him back, feeling the familiar sparks running through her body. Her cheeks lightened up as her face grew hot. He ran a tongue across her bottom lip, and this time she opened her mouth for him without hesitation. He massaged her own tongue with his, causing the girl to moan into his mouth. The sound turned him on even more, and he placed a hand on her knees and gently pressed them down before pushing her down on her back. He moved his muscular body on top of her, using his arms to support himself as he continued to kiss the girl.

He broke away from her lips and moved his way down to her neck, pressing kisses along her skin on the way. He sucked on the sensitive skin there, creating another bruise to match the one on the other side of her neck. He nipped at her skin, causing her to arch her back against him. His free hand slid into her hair, grabbing it firmly in his hand. He tugged on it, making her throw her head back and allowing him better access. When he was satisfied with the small bruise he had made, he worked his way back to her mouth, pressing his lips so hard against her red ones that her head slammed into the ground beneath them.

The hand in her hair made its way to her hip, sliding up her shirt and touching the bare skin underneath. His thumb worked circles into the tight, soft skin. He continued to kiss her sweet lips before tugging on her bottom lip with his teeth. He pulled away for a moment to look at the preacher's daughter. Her cheeks were a bright crimson, her eyes heavy as her eyelashes fluttered against her soft cheek, her lips were swollen and red and her hair frayed around her head. She looked so sexy, so fuckable that he wanted nothing more than to have his way with her right then and there and claim her as his.

"Daryl?" She whispered, softly, looking up at the older man as she wondered why he stopped. Her lips felt oddly empty without his rough one's pressed against them.

"Shut up." He growled, moving down to kiss her hard.

His tongue entered her mouth without asking for permission as he deepened the kiss. His hand moved from her hip to her thigh, stroking the soft flesh. He yanked her leg around his hip, drawing their bodies closer. His hand moved back to under her shirt, going into foreign territory as his fingers grazed the underside of her bra. Her body tensed up as she realized how far he had gone and he pulled away from her mouth to watch her for a second. She looked up at him with wide eyes, but didn't ask him to stop.

"Relax, baby girl." He hissed into her ear and her body melted at his voice.

Feeling a bit of encouragement from her reaction, he went back to kissing her soft lips as his calloused fingers continued to massage the top of her rib-cage, tugging at the smooth skin there. When her body continued to relax and she started to respond to his touches, he knew that it was okay to take things a step further. His hand slid out from under her shirt and grabbed onto the end of it. He gently began pushing it up, before removing his lips to slid it all the way off her body. She remained submissive, letting him remove that piece of cloth.

With her shirt off, Daryl took his time admiring her bare torso. Her stomach was flat and hard and her breasts were a decent hand-full. Her rips were emphasized by her small waist and her hip bones jutted out, causing her skin to pull tight. He ran his fingers up and down the side of her stomach, causing the girl to squirm at the ticklish feeling. Her cheeks lit up even more as the man continued to stare down at her semi-naked body. Somewhere in her mind, something was telling her this was wrong. They weren't married or even in a relationship. But her body was telling her a whole other story as it responded to his touches naturally.

Daryl leaned his head down, kissing her neck as he continued to make his way farther down. His mouth stopped over the top of her left breast and he waited for her to say no or indicate that she wasn't ready. When she didn't, he pressed his lips gently against the skin. Grace let out a tiny gasp at the feeling and arched her back further, to press herself against his lips harder. Daryl smirked at the reaction and continued to suck on the skin there as the preacher's daughter breathed heavily.

The hand that he had used to remove her skirt slid along her ribcage, until it rested on the middle of her back, right where her bra hooked together. He paused his advances and looked to her, asking for her permission. He wanted to make sure she was ready. She looked at him through her eyelashes as she debated whether or not to continue down this path.

Her body wanted it, she knew that. But did her heart want it? She definitely loved the feeling she got from Daryl's touches, but did she want to take it this far? Was this a sin to let him touch her like that? She thought about what was holding her back. Her father wasn't here anymore, her bible group wasn't here either, and she had no one telling her what was right or wrong. So what was right in this situation? She wasn't use to making these decisions on her own. Her dad had always been there to help her.

She stared into Daryl's blue eyes. She could tell he was holding himself back for the sake of her. Was this right? Looking into his eyes, her heart told her it was. It trusted this man to touch her in the most intimate ways. She nodded her head slowly, finally making her decision.

"Are ya' sure?" He grunted out as her body continued to heat up at the sound of his voice.

She nodded her head again, this time with more conviction, "I'm ready."

His experienced fingers quickly detached the bra hook and Grace felt the support loosen. Her cheeks turned a bright red as he slowly removed the bra from her body, exposing herself to him. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, then her small nose, then her lips before letting his eyes trail down to the sight he had only dreamed about.

She was definitely eighteen, he thought to himself. Her breasts were still plump and full of life at her tender age. He ran his hand along her side before gently touching the sensitive skin on her chest. Her eyes fluttered shut and she arched her back again, a small moan rising in the back of her throat. That was enough encouragement for Daryl as he leaned his head down and replaced his hand with his mouth. He felt her entire body relax at the sensation he was giving her, which only turned him on even more. He sucked and nipped at her skin causing her to moan louder. He wanted to make her squirm in pleasure and he ran his hand up against the side of her stomach again.

His hot mouth and touch was sending Grace over the edge. She had never experienced anything like this in her short amount of time. She had never been touched like Daryl was touching her now. And with every moan she let out, the man turned rougher, nipping at her harder, pressing his fingers into her hip. It was only turning her on even more as she threw her head back at the pleasure.

Daryl continued sucking and nipping at the skin there for a while, before returning to her mouth, kissing her with a hunger even more intense than before. His hand moved from her hips to her chest, pulling and tugging at the sensitive skin that he had just been sucking on. She continued to arch her back against his, desperate to feel his touches to their full extent. His lips smothered her soft ones, eliciting moans from the girl that sounded like heaven to Daryl. The need to go further continued to press in his mind, but he knew he had pushed the girl far enough today. He needed to take things slower with the innocent girl, who was still struggling with understanding her own feelings.

He pressed his rough lips against her's once last time before pulling away and kissing her forehead softly. That was enough for tonight. He wasn't sure how much longer he could last without throwing her over and having his way with her, so he needed to stop. He rolled off of her, unzipping the sleeping bag and throwing it over both of them. Grace, still feeling exposed, grabbed at it and covered herself as her cheeks reddened. She curled into his side like she had done the last time they slept together and Daryl let her, enjoying the way her bare chest slid against his own.

He leaned down and pressed another kiss to her small forehead, causing her body to relax against his. The intensity of the feelings she had just experience, wore the young girl out. She continued to breathe heavily as her body calmed down.

She closed her head and pressed further against Daryl, feeling completely safe next to him. He brushed some of her hair away from her face as she used his chest as a pillow.

His soft touch eventually lured her to sleep.

* * *

Grace stood next to the well with Lori, Glenn, Maggie, Shane, T-dog, Dale and Andrea, but her thoughts were focused on the walker contaminating the water supply. Instead, she was recounting the events of last night. They way Daryl had touched her like no man had ever done before. Even just thinking about it was making her hot. She knew she made the right decision to take things further. She had trusted her heart and it did not fail her.

This morning when she woke up, Daryl wasn't sleeping next to her anymore. She enjoyed the privacy of getting dressed after their encounter last night. When she left the tent, he wasn't outside either so she figured it was his time to patrol. She enjoyed her alone time. It allowed her to fully comprehend what had happened last night and she felt she did make the right choices on her own. They might not be married, or even in a relationship, but things like that seemed so strange in the world they were living in that Grace was beginning to not even mind. She wasn't sure if she could go all the way though. That would require a lot more thinking on her end.

She quickly shook her head and looked over to the group who were dangling some cheese in front of the walker.

"He's not going for it." Dale said, kneeling next to Shane.

"It's 'cause it don't kick and scream when you try to eat it." T-dog muttered.

"He's right." Lori said, "There's a reason the dead didn't come back alive and start raiding our cupboards."

The group laughed a little at her statement.

"We need live bait." Andrea said, looking down at the swollen walker.

Grace bit back a grimace at the sight before looking up to see Shane staring at her. Glenn caught his line of sight as well.

"No, you cannot be thinking of sending Grace down there." Glenn said.

"Look, we need someone light enough for us to lower down there." Shane said, "Grace is the smallest one here."

"You want me to be the live bait?" Grace gasped, looking down at the walker.

"I don't know how I feel about this." Lori said, looking at the younger girl.

"We need someone small enough to hang onto." Shane reasoned, "If we try to lower anyone else, it might be too heavy and they would risk falling in there with that thing. Grace is the perfect size."

"Can't we think of some other way?" Dale asked, not feeling comfortable with sending the girl down there.

"There is no other way unless you want to further risk contamination." Shane said, focusing his gaze on Grace, "It will be simple, Grace. I'll tie the knot for you and all you have to do is get it around his neck. We'll pull you back up and you'll be just fine."

Grace gulped, looking around at them terrified.

"No." Glenn said, "Why don't you have me do it? I'm not that much bigger than her."

"Grace is the best choice. We don't want to risk the chance of using someone bigger, right Grace?" Shane said, knowing it was easy to manipulate the young girl.

She bit her lip in thought. He was right. She didn't want to send anyone else down there, especially if they could get hurt. And it didn't seem all that hard. They would lower her down, she would throw the rope around the walker and they would pull her up. It wasn't that far down and she knew the group thought of her as weak and useless. Maybe this would make them see otherwise. She quickly nodded her head.

"I'll do it." She said.

Glenn let out a scoff, grabbing her shoulders to face her, "Don't let him guilt you, Grace. You don't have to do this."

"I'll be fine, Glenn." She said, brushing him off.

He frowned at her but knew he wouldn't be able to convince her otherwise.

A few minutes later, Shane was leaning over the small girl, tying a rope around her small waist. She tensed at how close his body was to her, biting back memories from the CDC. She kept her mouth shut though as she felt his breath on her neck, sending chills down her spine. Shane mistook her tension as her being scared and patted her on the back.

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart." He said, the nickname only making her tense up even more, "We'll get you outta' here in one piece."

"One living piece." Glenn piped up from next to Grace, holding her hand, "The living part is important."

"Who's going to tell Daryl we used his little pet as walker bait?" T-dog muttered to Lori who was standing next to him.

"I think it's best we keep this little adventure a secret." Lori whispered back, "Carol says he's oddly protective over her. I don't feel like dealing with an extra pissy Daryl."

"You can say that again." T-dog whispered back, causing the woman to laugh a little.

Shane moved in front of T-dog, grabbing onto the rope that was wrapped around the pump of the well to keep it secure. Maggie stood behind them with her arms crossed. Grace looked too much like her own sister to make her okay with this. It felt like they were sending Beth down that well.

"Slowly, please." Grace said lightly, fear evident in her voice.

"We've gotcha' ya'." Maggie couldn't help but reassure before looking at the group, "You people are crazy."

"Do you want that thing out of your well or not?" Shane said.

"Why don't you go give us an eye down there?" Dale asked the girl.

Maggie moved closer to Grace to glance down at the walker. Grace looked back at Glenn once who looked incredibly worried. She gave him a soft smile before using the bar to lower herself in the well. The walker, noticing her, began to growl louder and bite at the air around him. She almost dropped the flash light in fright but clung onto it with shaky hands as they continued to lower her down.

"Doing alright?" Glenn asked, peering down the well next to Maggie.

She nodded her lightly, still focusing on the walker. She continued to get closer and closer to the thing, feeling uneasy.

On the ground above her, the pump to the well suddenly broke off from the weight of Grace. Shane rushed forward to grab it as the girl suddenly felt herself being dropped faster than expected. She grabbed onto the rope as the flashlight slipped out of her hand. She could hear the panic above her and felt herself fall lower, just above the walker. She let out a little scream from the fear as the thing tried to grab onto her foot. She kicked at him and tried to pull her legs up but it was no use.

"Grace!" Glenn yelled in fear, "Get her out of there! Get her out of there!"

T-dog grabbed onto the broken pump as the group surrounded him, trying to help pull the small girl back up.

Grace swung closer to the walker and starting screaming louder as the thing continued to grab at her feet. She could hardly see because she had dropped the flashlight and all she heard were the growls from the walker and the panic from the group above. Suddenly she began to feel herself being lifted up very slowly. She was still really close to the walker though.

"Glenn!" She cried out, "Get me up! Please!"

They continued to pull her up slowly and once she was close enough to grab the bar, she began to pull herself out of the well. Glenn and Shane ran to her aid, helping her up and onto the ground. She fell onto the dirt, tears streaming down her face as her body shook with fright. She leaned down, trying to catch her breath.

"Guess it's back to the drawing board." Dale muttered.

Grace stood up on shaky legs and threw the rope at Shane with sudden anger. He caught it in surprise, looking at her angry expression. No one had ever seen the girl angry, her cheeks aflame, her lips pursed, eyes narrows and her low eyebrows. She had almost gotten bit. Shane had told her that it would be easy, down and up. But then the group almost dropped her so she was upset, angry and scared.

"Good luck pulling that thing up." She growled at him before storming away towards the forest.

She needed to get away from that thing and from everyone to calm herself down. She could feel the tears building up in her eyes again and she didn't want to cry in front of the group who thought she was a child anyways. Glenn ran after the small girl, knowing she was frightened.

Maggie watched him run to her, a small feeling pooling in her lower stomach.

"Grace!" Glenn called out.

The girl continued to storm off as she wiped some tears from her eyes angrily. Glenn caught up to her easily due to his much longer legs. He grabbed onto her shoulders and turned her around to face him.

"Hey, hey, calm down." He said softly, "You're okay."

"No, I'm not, Glenn!" She bit back, more tears forming, "That…that thing almost got me. And then I would've been bit and you guys would have to shoot me in the head."

"Grace, calm down." Glenn soothed, as if he was talking to an infant, "You know we would never let anything happen to you. You're fine."

Grace shook his hands off her shoulder, "I'm not a child! Why does everyone treat me like one?"

"Nobody sees you like that, Grace." Glenn said, still trying to calm the girl.

"They all do!" Grace said, "I'm nothing to them, except some child they have to look over."

"That's not true, Grace and you know it." Glenn said, suddenly a little angry, "You mean something to everyone here. Sophia looks up to you. You give Lori and Carol hope every day. You make T-dog laugh. You comfort Rick and Andrea. Dale see's you as a daughter. Daryl talks to you, that says a lot. And Shane-"

Glenn frowned for a second, "That's what this is about, isn't it? Shane?"

Grace huffed and whirled around to storm away but Glenn grabbed onto her arm and yanked her to face him.

"Grace, you need to tell someone about what happened." Glenn said, "You're still scared. I can see it every time you look at him. Stop trying to play the nice guy. Sometimes regret isn't a good enough consequence for actions. He needs to be dealt with for what he did to you."

"This isn't about Shane." Grace snipped, trying to break free from his grasp, but he held on tighter.

"The hell it isn't." He said, suddenly angry too. He didn't understand why she refused to tell anyone what happened back at the CDC.

"Let go of me, Glenn." She huffed.

"Not until you tell me why you're so upset." He snapped back.

Daryl, who was on patrol, walked along the edge of the forest, crossbow at ready. He heard some yelling and commotion a few ways off and looked to see Grace and Glenn arguing. He lowered his crossbow for a minute, observing them. Grace's cheeks were a bright red, her lips in her angry pout and her eyes narrowed at the boy. Daryl glanced down to see Glenn's hand wrapped around her upper arm as she tried to break free from his grasp. He quickly walked over to them, not liking the way it was looking.

"What's goin' on here?" Daryl asked, his voice low and even.

Glenn let go of Grace's arm once her saw the older man and she began to walk off again, still upset.

"Grace, stop." Daryl yelled out causing the girl to freeze in her spot at his command. She turned back around compliantly.

Glenn watched their exchange, noticing the way Grace didn't question his orders.

"I'm not gonna' ask again." Daryl said, "What's goin' on?"

"Grace is upset." Glenn said.

"What the hell happened now?" The older man bit out, looking at the girl. She looked away from his gaze.

"Nothing." She muttered.

"If you're not going to tell him, I will." Glenn said, narrowing his eyes at the girl.

"Tell me what?" Daryl asked.

"Nothing." Grace said, "I'm just not feeling well."

"Yeah, because Shane stuck you down the well as live bait for the walker down there!" Glenn said, angry that she wasn't telling Daryl what happened.

Daryl's reaction was exactly what Glenn predicted.

"He what?" The older man grunted, his voice loaded with angry.

Grace looked up the Glenn, glaring at him for telling Daryl what happened. Glenn gave her a look before walking off, leaving her to deal with the Daryl's anger. She needed to learn that she shouldn't be guilted into putting her life in danger for Shane's stupid ideas.

"Don't worry about it." Grace said.

"No." Daryl growled, grabbing her chin to make her look up at him, "Ya' tell me what happened righ' now."

Grace swallowed hard as she looked up at the angry man.

"There was a walker in the well." Grace said, "Shane asked me to be lowered down into the well to tie the rope around it so they could pull it up without getting it's blood in the water."

"And ya' said yes?" Daryl snapped.

"I couldn't say no." Grace said, softly, looking away.

Daryl tugged on her chin again, pressing his calloused fingers into her soft skin forcing her to look at him again.

"Ya' listen to me." He growled, "Ya' don't let anyone tell ya' what to do, 'specially not Shane. I don't want ya' near him. The other person ya' answer to is me. Got it?"

Daryl didn't trust anyone else with her safety except him.

She looked up at him with her blue eyes and nodded quickly, her cheeks staying red. He let go of her chin to wipe away the tears from her face before pressing a hard kiss against her soft lips. He quickly moved his lips down to her neck, sucking on the light bruise there.

"Yer mine." He growled into her skin, before nipping at it with his teeth. She threw her head back in pleasure at the sensation of his mouth before he quickly claimed her lips with his rough ones before pulling away.

"Go back to camp." He hissed, "Don't come near the forest alone and stay away from Shane."

She nodded her head, eye still heavy from the feeling of his lips. He brushed some of her hair from her face before pressing a kiss to her forehead and walking away, back on patrol.

Grace sighed a little, shaking her head to try and calm her body down before walking back to camp.

* * *

Grace sat with Beth as Carl and Sophia were running around, playing hide and seek. It was odd how similar the two girls looked. Both had light, wheat-colored hair, pure blue eyes, rosy cheeks, and delicate features. And they both shared similar personalities as well, meek, naive young. But it was evident that Grace was older by a few years. Her eyes weren't as innocent as she had seen things girls the tender age of eighteen could never dream of. She had the eyes of a survivor and that's what separated the two girls.

"Carl, Sophia, don't run too far off." Grace called out to the younger children.

Carol and Lori were inside preparing dinner for the group and she was wondering why they didn't have anyone watching the two children. She figured their moms must've given them some orders, but children were unpredictable sometimes and there ought to be someone watching them. Grace glanced over to the younger girl next to her who, to strangers, looked like her sister.

"So tell me about Jimmy." Grace prodded lightly, causing the girl's cheeks to blush.

"What about him?" Beth asked shyly.

"I heard he was your boyfriend." Grace said with a smile.

The girl blushed even more, "I guess so."

"You guess so?" Grace giggled, "He either is or he's not."

"Jimmy and I were in a relationship before all this started." Beth answered, biting her lip, "I don't know where this puts us now."

"Well, I'd say you're still in a relationship." Grace said lightly, "And that's a good thing, I think. Unless you don't like him or something."

"I do." Beth said, quickly, "But sometimes I wonder if it would be better if we weren't together. So he doesn't have to protect me all the time. I don't want anything to happen to him."

"Has he told you he loves you?" Grace asked.

Beth nodded, "A few weeks ago."

"Then it doesn't really matter if you break up with him or not." Grace said, "He's still going to protect you. That's what we do, protect the people we love."

"Is that why Daryl's so protective over you?" Beth asked.

The older girl's face instantly became red.

"Daryl doesn't love me." She answered quickly, her cheeks on fire.

"How do you know?" Beth asked.

"It's complicated." Grace muttered.

"How complicated can it be? He's your boyfriend, right?" Beth asked, with innocent curiosity.

Grace nearly choked on her spit, "No! He's not boyfriend."

Beth looked at her red cheeks and asked, "Do you want him to be?"

Grace frowned a little and looked out towards the farm, "I don't think that's even a possibility with the way things are right now. Besides, Daryl doesn't seem like the dating type."

"But you wish he was, don't you?" The girl said, examining Grace.

"There's nothing going on between me and Daryl, Beth." Grace said.

"If there's nothing going on between you two, then why do you sleep in his tent?" The younger girl asked, looking mischievous.

"What are you talking about?" Grace sputtered.

When she went to Daryl's tent last night, everyone had been asleep. She didn't think anyone had seen her.

"I went to wake you up this morning to see if you wanted to feed the horses with me. But you weren't with Glenn and he said you never came back to the tent last night. So I asked Andrea and she told me that you were probably with Daryl." Beth answered, "So I went to his tent and he was sitting outside, cleaning some arrows. I went to go in but he yelled at me for trying. Said you were asleep and I shouldn't wake you up."

Grace's face turned redder. Beth giggled at her expression.

"Don't worry, I didn't tell anyone." She laughed.

"Daryl's my-" Grace started then stopped. She didn't really have an answer for the girl. Daryl was just Daryl. He wasn't her boyfriend, her husband, her fiancé, her anything. He was just Daryl and for some reason, that was good enough for Grace. But was it good enough for the rest of the group?

"You don't have to explain to me." The younger girl said, "I understand. You're in love with him."

"I'm not in love with him!" Grace said quickly, her face flaming up again.

"Well then, you're falling in love with him." Beth said.

Grace's eyebrows pulled together at her statement. Was she falling in love with Daryl? She couldn't deny the way she felt when he touched her. It sent sparks through her body and set her veins on fire. And the thought of waking up next to him, seeing his face when she first awoke, made her heart skip a beat. But did that mean she loved him? Grace wasn't sure if Daryl could ever love her. He wasn't that type of man. He wasn't Bobby. And for some reason, she was okay with that. She was confused about what she really wanted. It had all been so simple before. Fall in love, get married, have children, and die old together. But everything changed and now she was lost. She didn't have her parents to guide her anymore, or her Bible study groups. All she had was herself and she was incredibly lost.

Grace shook her head to rid herself of these thoughts. It was all just giving her a headache.

"Why don't you tell me how you and Bobby met?" She asked Beth, changing the subject.

The girl never got to answer however, as a loud scream interrupted the silence of the farm. Grace quickly sprung to her feet as she looked out on the pasture. She didn't see Carl and Sophia anymore and her heart dropped. She quickly ran out to the field, trying to find them. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lori and Carol running behind her. They heard the scream from inside the kitchen as well.

Suddenly, Carl came running from the trees, eyes wide with fright.

"Mom! Dad!" He screamed.

They ran to the small boy who was breathing heavily.

"Where's Sophia?" Carol asked with urgency, not seeing her daughter.

"Walkers." Carl breathed out, "There were walkers in the forest. They chased us and we got separated. I don't know where Sophia went."

Grace felt her heart drop as she looked out to the forest, the same forest she had been chased in. It would be easy for the small girl to get herself lost. Carol ran towards the forest, yelling her daughter's name and Grace went with her, feeling her eyes tear up. She should've been watching them better.

Daryl and Rick, who had heard the scream during their patrol quickly caught up with the group. Daryl grabbed Grace by the shoulders, looking at her tearful eyes.

"What happened?" He asked quickly, "Were ya' hurt?"

She shook her head, "Sophia's lost. She got chased by walkers."

Daryl looked towards the forest, still holding onto Grace.

"Daryl, find her please." The girl pleaded, looking terrified.

Daryl looked down at her again. Her expression eating away at his mind. He nodded at her, promising himself he would find the girl because he knew how much it meant to Grace. He let her go and went to Rick who was going to go look for the girl as well.

"Listen," Rick started, "We'll find her, don't panic. Carl, show us where you and Sophia got separated. Daryl with track her footprints and we'll bring her back."

The group nodded at his words as Carol cried in worry. Lori rubbed the woman's shoulders and Beth walked up to Grace's side. She looked worried as well so Grace grabbed onto her hand in a comforting gesture. Lori began to escort the woman back to the RV, probably to calm her down and reassure her that they would find her daughter. Carl walked off with his dad, Daryl trailing after them as the young boy tried to remember where he lost sight of Sophia.

"Daryl," Grace called out before the man could walk away, "Please stay safe."

Daryl back at the girl who was clinging onto the farmer's younger daughter. He was only a few steps away from her, so he quickly backtracked and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Go back inside." He commanded, before finally setting off with Rick.

Grace watched them walk away, dread eating at her stomach. She was terrified. She didn't want anything to happen to Sophia and she didn't want anything to happen to Daryl either. The younger girl noticed her expression and began to pull her back towards the house.

"Come on, Grace." Beth said, "They'll be just fine."

Grace let the younger girl pull her away

* * *

Daryl and Rick had returned last night without Sophia. But they had split up along the way and Daryl had managed to find a small farmhouse that looked as though someone had taken refuge there. But the little girl had been nowhere in sight. It had gotten dark and they had returned, leaving Carol in a frenzy. But they had promised her they would begin a huge search party the next day and that's exactly what they were doing now.

"Alright, everyone's getting new search grids today." Rick said, addressing Andrea, T-dog, Shane, Dale and Daryl, "We should start around the farmhouse Daryl found. She might have gone farther east then we thought before."

"I'd like to help." Jimmy interrupted walking up to the group causing Daryl to roll his eyes as he put on a long sleeve, plaid flannel, "I know the area pretty well and stuff."

"Hershel's okay with this?" Rick asked the younger boy.

"Uh, yeah…yeah." The boy said, shifting his eyes, "He said I should ask you."

"Alright then." Rick said looking back at the map, "Thanks."

"About what Daryl found, doesn't sound like a good lead to me." Shane piped up, "Anyone could've been holed up in the farmhouse."

"Anybody includes her, right?" Andrea said, leaning on the car.

"Whoever slept in that cupboard wasn't any bigger than ye' high." Daryl said, gesturing with his hands to an area above his waist.

"Good lead." Andrea said, looking at the man who was staring at something passed her. She turned around briefly to see Grace hanging up some clothes with Lori and Carol and fought to keep the smirk off her face as she turned back around.

"Maybe we'll pick up her tracks again." Rick said, looking at Daryl as well.

"How 'bout I borrow a horse, head up to this bridge right here?" Daryl said, pointing down to the map, "Get a bird's eye view of the whole grid. If she's up there, I'll spot her."

"Good idea." T-dog said, nodding his head, "Maybe you'll see your chupacabra up there too."

"Chupacabra?" Rick asked, looking at the two men.

"The first night at camp, Daryl tells us about the first time he went squirrel hunting and saw a chupacabra." Dale said, pulling out the guns on the car.

Jimmy laughed a little.

"What are you brayin' at, jackass?" Daryl snapped.

"So you believe in a blood sucking dog?" Jimmy asked.

"Ya' believe in dead people walkin' around?" Daryl bit back, rubbing his eye.

Jimmy didn't respond and went to grab a gun.

"Hey, hey," Rick said, "Ever fire one before."

"Well if I'm going out, I want one." Jimmy replied.

"People in hell want slurpies." Daryl said roughly, stringing on his crossbow.

He walked away from the group and headed to where Grace was stringing up some clothes on a line. The two other women next to her looked at him as he got closer and kept a close eye on the pair. Carol smiled lightly, going back to hanging up clothes while Lori watched with a closer eye.

"Imma' go look for the girl again." Daryl whispered into her ear, placing a hand on the small of her back as she faced away from him to hang up a shirt.

Grace turned around to face him and her cheeks lit up when she realized how close he was.

"Okay." She said, frowning in concern, "Stay safe."

"I don't plan on dyin', girl." He smirked, "Remember what I said yesterday. Don't ya' let anyone tell ya' what to do and stay away from Shane."

"I will." Grace said, smiling up at the older man. Daryl turned his head to see Lori staring at them intently. When she noticed Daryl looking at her, she quickly shifted her eyes down. Daryl took the opportunity of her diverted attention by placing a rough kiss to Grace's lips. He pulled away before either of the two women noticed anything.

"I expect ya' to be in my tent, in one piece and no tears when I come back." Daryl said, brushing some hair from her face.

She melted at his touch and nodded her head absentmindedly. He pressed another kiss to her forehead, which Carol caught as she glanced at them for a moment, before walking away to the horse stables. Carol's smile grew as she watched the man walk away from the young girl.

"Hey Grace, mind if I ask ya' what's going on between you and Daryl?" Lori prodded.

The younger girl blushed red and quickly went back to hanging up clothes.

"Nothing's going on, Lori." She answered, not looking her in the eyes.

"He didn't convince you to have sex with him, did he?" Lori asked, knowing how naïve the girl was. Daryl could probably easily manipulate her. The girl dropped the shirt she was about to hang up in shock as her face turned completely red and she nearly choked on her own spit.

Carol couldn't help but giggle at her expression.

"I wouldn't commit adultery!" Grace nearly shouted before bending down to pick up the shirt she dropped.

Lori's own face turned red as she thought about how she slept with Shane numerous times before swallowing those thoughts.

"Besides, Daryl's not like that." Grace said, hanging up the shirt.

Carol couldn't help but smile even more. She had a feeling Daryl was a good man underneath his rough exterior.

"I was only teasing, Grace." Lori said as a cover-up for her own curiosity.

"Oh." Grace said, giggling a little as the women went back to hanging up clothes.

After Grace had finished hanging up clothes, she ran off to find Glenn. She hadn't talked to him since yesterday and she felt she needed to apologize for the way she treated him when she had been upset. She saw him sitting on the front porch, trying to play guitar. The sight made her giggle a little. Suddenly, Maggie came out from the porch and Grace froze in her spot as she watched their interaction. She couldn't help but smile, watching the two. She was rooting for Glenn and she sincerely hoped Maggie would fall for his cute smile and soft brown eyes.

Maggie walked away from a moment, heading in her direct path. She blushed a little as the girl passed her, giving her an odd look before walking off. Grace quickly walked up to Glenn, taking the spot on the bench next to him.

"So…" She began, "What's going on with you and Maggie?"

Glenn was silent for a moment before blurting out, "We had sex."

Grace's blue eyes widened in surprise as she looked at the boy, "What?"

"When we went into town together." Glenn muttered, "We, uh, we had sex."

Grace stared at him in shock and disbelief.

"I know it's against your religion." Glenn said, "But it was…it was nice. Actually, it was more than nice. It was wonderful."

Grace continued to stare at him, "So you guys like each other?"

"I don't know." Glenn said, staring down at his hands, "I don't think she likes me."

"Well, people don't just sleep with each other for no reason." Grace said.

"She said she didn't have much of an option these days." Glenn said, "I don't really know what's she's thinking."

Grace stared at him for a moment, "You know what I think?"

"What?" Glenn asked, looking at his friend.

"I think she would be crazy not to like you." She said with a light smile, "You're a wonderful boy, Glenn. You're funny, kind, sweet, and caring. Options or not, any girl would be lucky to have you."

Glenn's face lit up at her words as a small smile crossed his face.

"You think so?" He asked, shyly. Grace giggled at his behavior.

"I know so." She said, reaching over to hug the boy who returned her hug. She released him and leaned back in her chair, looking over the farm as a comfortable silence fell over the pair. She bit her lip, hesitating for a moment before turning to look at him again.

"About yesterday-" She began but Glenn interrupted her.

"Don't mention it." He said, "You were upset. I understand."

"Doesn't matter if I was upset or not, I shouldn't have treated you like that." She said, looking down.

"Grace, it's fine." Glenn said, "You were upset. No one acts reasonable when they're upset. You can't always play the nice girl."

Grace frowned, "Well, I'm sorry, okay? I just…I don't know. I was just mad I guess…at a lot of things."

"Its fine, Grace." Glenn said again, "But if it makes you feel better, I forgive you."

"It does." She said, smiling.

They sat talking for awhile longer before Grace ran off to go check on Carl and the other women. The day was dragging on and when she saw the search parties coming back to camp, she grew worried when she didn't see Daryl return. She ignored the feeling, figuring he would come back sooner or later. But hours dragged on and he never returned. She had to know where he went, if something happened.

"Where's Daryl?" Grace asked, walking up to Rick.

The older man glanced down at the preacher's daughter, "He hasn't come back yet."

"What do you mean he hasn't come back yet?" She asked, dread filling her stomach.

"He hasn't returned yet, Grace." Rick said, softly, "Calm down, he'll be back soon."

"He should've been back by now." Grace said, worry rising in her throat.

"Maybe he ran into some walkers." Rick said, "Or maybe he managed to find Sophia's tracks. He'll be back soon, Grace. Don't worry."

"What if he's hurt?" Grace asked, her eyes widening, "Shouldn't we go look for him?"

"Daryl's a tough man, Grace." Rick soothed, "He knows these woods like the back of his hand. He'll come back, just calm down."

"No." Grace said, "We have to go look for him. He's probably hurt. He should have been back already. Why did you guys let him go alone?"

Rick almost wanted to smile at how protective she seemed of Daryl. He knew the man was tougher than nails and knew he would be back soon.

"He wanted to go alone." Rick answered, "You need to calm down, Grace. Go get some sleep. He'll be back before you wake up."

"No we need to go look for him." Grace said with sudden conviction, "And if you guys won't go, then I will."

She began to walk towards the forest and Rick grabbed her shoulders.

"Grace, you can't go out there alone." He said, "Daryl would want you to stay here and wait for him. He'll be back, trust me."

"I don't care what Daryl would want." Grace said, shaking his arms off her shoulders, tired of being treated like a child, "He's hurt, I know it. He should've been back by now and I'm going to go look for him."

"You don't even know where he went, Grace." Rick said, just calm down.

"Horse hooves aren't that hard to track." She snipped.

Shane walked up, butting into their argument, "Look girl, your little boyfriend will be just fine. Now why don't you go back to the women and help wash some dishes."

Grace glared at him and Rick frowned, knowing that Shane wasn't helping.

"I'm leaving and I don't care what any of you say." She said, stalking off to the woods.

Glenn noticed the girl walking away from the two men and jogged up to them.

"Grace!" He called out, but didn't get any response.

"Where's she going?" Glenn asked, looking at Rick.

"To look for Dixon." Shane scoffed.

Glenn took off towards the smaller girl but didn't get very far when Shane grabbed onto his waist, preventing him from leaving.

"Let go of me!" Glenn snapped before yelling out to Grace again.

"We have risked too many men in those woods, today." Shane said, his voice even, "She'll come back in a few minutes once she gets scared. We need you here, kid."

"We can't let her go out there by herself!" Glenn said, trying to pry himself from the older man's grip.

"She'll be back, just watch. Little thing like her won't be able to handle herself out there." Shane said, "She'll get scared and come back. Now go help T-dog patrol."

Glenn pulled himself out of his grasp and looked at Rick.

"And you're just going to leave her out there alone?" He bit.

"Shane's right, Glenn. She'll get scared and come back soon." Rick said, "We need you to patrol with T-dog and keep the camp safe. She'll be back."

Glenn glared at both of them.

"I can't believe either of you." He snapped, before storming away feeling completely powerless.

Grace heard some commotion behind her, but kept walking, eager to find Daryl. He had been gone all day. He had been due back a few hours ago and she was beginning to worry when he didn't return. She had this weird feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something was telling her that he was hurt and she couldn't ignore it. She needed to find him, make sure he was okay. She didn't know what she would do if he didn't come back.

She quickly found herself enclosed in the trees, blocking out the sun that was beginning to lower. Her chunky boots sloshed through some mud as she continued on. It was so quiet here that it was almost peaceful but she knew danger waited out here. She had the hunting knife Daryl had given her, and she knew she would be able to take out a walker if it tried to attack her. If there were more than one, however, she knew she would be done for. But she needed to find Daryl. She needed to make sure he was okay.

She continued walking for what felt like at least an hour and still hadn't come across Daryl. She had found the horse prints in the mud but they had disappeared from leaves covering them among other things. But she followed the direction that they had left off on. It was getting darker, but Grace knew she had to find Daryl. He was out here somewhere, hurt and alone. He needed help and she was angry that none of the men had offered to go look for him. He was there when they needed help, saving T-dog, looking for Sophia, patrolling for Rick. But they didn't even worry when he never returned? Grace bit her lip at the thought, upset with them.

So she continued through the forest, determined to find the man who had saved her life countless of times, whose touch set her body on fire, whose kiss made her heart skip of beat. The man who had her wrapped around his finger. She needed to find him, make sure he was okay. Nothing would stop her.

She gripped onto the knife in her pocket before letting it go. She couldn't hear anything nearby so she figured she was safe for the moment. She let her mind wander back to Daryl, thinking of his rough lips, his calloused fingers and the way they felt against her own soft skin. Suddenly, she heard footsteps coming from nearby. She sprang into action, thinking it was Daryl.

"Daryl?" She called out, walking towards the noise. She didn't receive a response.

"Daryl?" She tried again, this time louder.

The footsteps were getting louder and closer, but she still didn't receive a response. Something in her gut told her to turn around and run. This wasn't Daryl, her gut told her, it's probably a walker or something dangerous. But she couldn't shake the worry from her. What if it was Daryl and he was hurt so bad he couldn't talk. She couldn't leave him out here like that. So she didn't leave. She continued to walk towards the footsteps.

Suddenly, a man with a knife appeared in her path; someone she had never seen before. He was older than her, probably a couple years older than Daryl. His face was tanned and dirty, wrinkles on his forehead. He was tall and muscular, wearing a dark green shirt with the sleeves torn off. Her heart dropped at the sight of him. Who was this man? He looked up at her, noticing her presence and a creepy smirk grazed its way onto his face.

She let out a tiny scream, backing away a little. Her scream only made his smirk grow.

"Oh, looky here." He laughed darkly, "I've found a screamer. I love screamers."

He quickly closed the distance between them and Grace began to run, feeling her insides freeze up at his words. He was faster than her, though and quickly grabbed onto her upper arm yanking her back. She let out another scream as he pushed her against the tree, slamming one hand against the side of her head while stabbing his knife against the tree on the other side, enclosing her in. She looked up at him, eyes wide with fear as she noticed the maleficent glare in his eyes as he continued to smirk at her.

"Go on." He hissed, "Scream for me, baby."

Before she could let out another scream for help, another man walked up to the pair.

"Johnny, now what the hell are ya' doin'?" The man asked, his voice rough as he carried a gun.

The man holding her against the tree backed away a little, letting the other man catch sight of her.

"Found this lil' thing walking through the forest, yelling something about a 'Daryl'." He said, grinning.

"Don't know anyone named Daryl." The other man said before looking at the door, "But I'm sure we can keep you plenty company, girl."

Grace grabbed at the knife in her pocket as the man who had been holding her was distracted, and quickly attacked him, cutting his arm with the knife. He let out a scream of pain and grabbed onto the cut, blood flowing from his arm. She tried to run away but he slapped her in the face with his hand, getting his blood all over her now red cheek.

"Ya' stupid bitch!" He said, as she fell to the ground from the force of his hit.

Tears welled up in her eyes at the pain and she placed a hand onto her hot cheek. He kicked her in the ribs as he went back to holding his arm in pain. She grunted at the pain, more tears welling up in her eyes and slipping onto her cheek. The other man grabbed onto the guy and pulled him away.

"Knock it off, Johnny." He said.

"No, Sam! That bitch cut me!" Johnny growled.

"I know, but look at her. I think Boss will be very pleased with the meat we bring back tonight." Sam said, with a smirk that sent shivers down Grace's spine, "Ain't seen very many girls like her around in a long time, brother."

Johnny started to smile at the man's words, "Bet she's a virgin too, young thing like her."

"Yes, Boss will be very happy with us." Sam said, "And then we won't have to do this shit anymore."

Johnny nodded, looking down at the girl.

"Well, get up girl." Sam said, grabbing Grace by her upper arm and yanking her off the ground. He grabbed the knife out of her hand and shoved it in his back pocket. Grace felt terror cling to her heart as she continued to cry.

"Now, you'll come back with us and ya' won't make this a hard time, will ya'?" He growled, "'Cause I'd hate to have to ruin that pretty lil' face of yours."

Grace continued to stare at him in fear. Her ribs were screaming in pain and her cheek was still on fire. But she nodded at the man, not wanting to be hit again. He was pleased with her reaction.

"I think we should have a bit of our own fun with her, doncha' think?" Johnny said, "Before we take her back to the boss."

Sam glanced over the man for a second before nodded his head, "Alright. I'll go get some more squirrels while ya' have yer fun. But keep her a virgin. The price for a virgin is high these days, brother."

Johnny nodded at the man before looking at Grace, a deep hunger in his eyes. She bit her lip in fear, trying to find a way to escape. Once Sam walked off, Johnny began walking towards her with the same smirk from earlier. She bit back a scream and tried to run off again, but he was once again, faster than her. He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back, causing the young girl to squeal in pain as he ripped a few strands out.

"Ya' not gonna' give me a hard time, now are ya'?" Johnny growled into her ear as he pushed her against the tree from before. He grabbed her chin in his hand, digging his fingers into her flesh and his nails scratched at her skin. She tried to look away from him, but he yanked her face back into place roughly. He pushed his lips against her's, sending a chill down Grace's body. She tried to push him off but he grabbed her hands in his and forced them above her head, the same way Shane had. His other hand continued to hold her face in place as he continued his assault on her.

She bit on his lip, eager to get the man off of her. He pulled away, his eyes angry as he slapped her across the face again.

"Fuckin' do that again, and I'll kill ya' right here." He hissed at her, yanking on her hair. She screamed in pain again, making the man smirk.

He kissed her on the lips again, harder this time making her head hit against the tree roughly. He forcefully entered his tongue into her mouth, shoving it down her throat as she squeezed her eyes shut at the feeling more tears sliding down her face. She couldn't believe this was happening again. She wanted the man off her; she wanted to be back at camp with Daryl, safe in his arms as she slept. She prayed to God for help as the man continued to attack her.

He quickly ripped her shirt off of her, the buttons breaking and spreading around the floor of forest. He unhooked her bra in one fluid motion and moved his mouth to her chest, sucking and nipping at the skin as she continued to cry. She let out a scream now that she was free from his mouth and he quickly silenced her with his mouth again, biting on her bottom lip until his teeth broke through the skin. Grace let out a gasp of pain, taking the full extent of his warning before he moved back down to his chest, letting his fingers grab onto the sensitive skin. She squeezed her eyes shut again as he continued to rape her.

Once he was done exploring that part of her body, he shoved his hands down her jeans, causing the button to come undo and the zipper to slide down. More tears fell out of her eyes as his hands slid inside her underwear.

"Told me to keep ya' a virgin." He grunted, "Said nothing about using my hands."

And that was when Grace blacked out, terror eating away at her heart.

* * *

**Author's Note: SOOOO THINGS ARE GOING TO GET INTENSE. Just putting that out there haha. So, how do you guy's think Daryl will feel when he returns back to camp to find out Grace is now missing too? And how do you think the group with respond to Grace getting kidnapped? OHH so many things are going to happen. Shit's getting dark now, just a warning to all you readers! Thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave a little review on your way out! Love you all (:**


	11. Haunted

***So I just wanted to explain something that I haven't mentioned before. All chapter titles have been Taylor Swift songs that I felt related somehow to the chapter. If any of you want further explanation for a chapter title, shoot me a PM or something. I'll be glad to explain. But Haunted by Taylor Swift really set the mood for this chapter. It wasn't the original title that I had in mind, but after listening to the song I had to use it. So listen to it as you read, or after you read if you please (:**

**Leyshla Gisel: **Its official...I'm an idiot. Haha but seriously I was even watching the episode as I wrote the chapter and still got things wrong. WOW. And yes, shit is getting intense. Thanks for the review girl! Sorry 'bout the long wait. Hope you enjoy this one (:

**EdibethKain: **Shit has hit the fan, my friend. haha (:

**J. R. The exorcist: **I just wanted to let you know that your review might have changed the plot of this chapter. JUSS SAYIN'. Read the author's note at the end and you'll understand because i don't wanna give out any spoilers now! Thanks for the review (:

** : **YAY! A new reader! Thank God for bargain bins at Walmart! I'm glad you've been enjoying the story. And yes, age difference makes things so naughty ;) Thanks for the review. Hope you like this chapter! (:

**DeviantDames: **I don't wanna give out any spoilers but I'll just say this one thing: Grace is definitely going to toughen up in the next few chapters. Thanks for the review! Hope you like this one as well (:

**Bubs1: **I never do my homework anymore :( haha but do your homework! And read my story, kplzthx. Haha but seriously, glad you've been enjoying the story. Grace definitely needs to toughen up. And don't worry she will ;) Thanks for the review! (:

**Also thanks to CheetosMouth84, thelittlealbatross, Taylor Allie, isopt, little miss michelle, snemes, Lucy Freebird, orcafan1, Mena in the Garden, TiffanyRebecca, Emberka-2012, Mrs. Barrett, SoFarFromPerfect90, shippolove844 and the guest who reviewed but I don't know your name! All your reviews mean the world to me and like I said before, I do read all of them. I'll try to reply to different people each time so don't worry if I didn't reply to you this time around! Thanks guys (:**

* * *

**One last thing, Mena in the Garden looked over this chapter and helped me improve it for you guys! So lets all give a nice, warm thank you to her for her support! Thank you Mena! (:**

* * *

**Safe and Sound**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Haunted**

* * *

_A seven year old Grace held onto her daddy's hand tightly as they walked through the rehabilitation center. Grace wasn't really sure what rehabilitation meant, but her daddy had told her that this was where they helped people who had been touched by the Devil. She clung to her dad's side; she couldn't help but feel a little frightened at the thought. Her Daddy had always read her Bible stories at night and brought her to church every day of the week to make sure the Devil didn't try to take her. Did these people not have daddies to watch over them?_

_The walls were a light pink, just like the color of her bedroom, and a large wooden cross hung over the doorway to one of the rooms. She couldn't help but glance inside the open door. There was a gurney in the middle of the room with a pale, terribly thin and sickly man sleeping on it. She tightened her hold on her daddy, staring at the man. He felt her grip and turned to follow her gaze._

"_He was addicted to the devil's food, Gracey." Her dad whispered down to her, "That's why you always stay away from cigarettes and drugs. You must keep your body pure of sin or you'll end up like that, fighting to stay in God's Grace."_

"_Does the Devil's food taste good, Daddy?" The young child asked, looking up at her dad with wide blue eyes._

"_It does to some people," he answered, pulling her along to keep walking, "but that's why you must never try it. You can become addicted and the Devil can take over your body."_

_Grace nodded, content with his answer as she glanced over the nice paintings on the wall-a pretty pastel rose, a panorama of a calming lake scene, a field with luscious green grass. The paintings reminded Grace of her mother's own paintings that she would hang up in the young girl's bedroom. She often found herself falling to sleep as she imagined being one of the butterflies in a painting that hung on the wall opposite of her bed and flying high into the sky with God. _

_They continued to walk down the hallway. Her dad had told her that he was taking her to see children her age that grew up with people that had fallen off of God's path. He said these kids were scared and hurt and that she should be there with him to help them realize God's love. Grace was curious. She remembered one time she had been walking in her backyard and found a snake. She had never been so scared in her life. Maybe these kids had seen a snake too. _

_Passing another open doorway, Grace caught sight of a television within-it's blank, black screen loosely reflecting the scene inside the room. She stopped for a moment, curiosity eating away in her stomach. Four women sat together on a beige sofa while another woman sat apart from them on a cushiony chair in the corner. Their eyes were transfixed to the TV screen despite the fact it wasn't even on and they sat silently and unmoving, not even acknowledging the little girl peering into the room_

_Summers in Georgia were always so hot. The air was humid and mosquito bites were not uncommon. Sometimes her dad would even let her turn on the sprinklers and run through the yard as the water droplets coated her hot skin. But then her mother would tell her to shut it off, reasoning that they shouldn't waste water. But these women had every inch of their skin covered, only their necks and faces exposed. Why were they wearing winter clothes in the middle of the summer?_

_It was so quiet in the room. She frowned in confusion as she observed the women. They all looked so frightened. Each kept their eyes downcast as not one word was muttered from the sealed lips of the beautiful women. Grace was curious; they were all adults, so why did they look so frightened? They didn't look sickly like the man had. They looked like her mom: beautiful with shiny hair and blemish-free skin. _

_Grace tugged on her daddy's sleeve to get him to stop._

"_Daddy, what did the Devil do to those women?" She asked, curiously pointing into the room. He slapped her hand down._

"_It's not polite to point, Grace," he scolded as her face turned a little red. "Those women were raped."_

"_What does that mean?" Grace asked, her small nose scrunched up in confusion._

_Her dad sighed and brushed some hair out of his daughter's face, "It's nothing you have to worry about, Gracey. It will never happen to you. God protects those who seek his protection. But sometimes people have slipped too far into the Devil's grasp that they hurt other people."_

"_Did someone hurt those women?" Grace asked curiously, "Did they hit them?"_

"_Don't worry about it, sweetheart," her father said softly, "It's nothing you'll ever have to worry about."_

_Grace's eyebrows pulled together as she felt a little frustrated; she still curious but her Dad refused to answer her questions so she nodded obediently and let him drag her away. She couldn't help but look back at the women in the room. One of the girls with darker hair turned around and caught her gaze. Grace's small lips lifted into a soft smile as she looked at the pretty woman. The woman smiled back at her, but Grace couldn't help but the way her smile didn't seem to quite reach her eyes. Someone must've hurt these women badly._

_Grace turned around to face her dad._

"_Johnny poked me in the eye once," she said, "Do you think he was possessed by the Devil?"_

_Her dad just chuckled and ruffled her hair a little bit._

* * *

"Walker!" Andrea screamed from her spot on top of the RV. "Walker!"

Glenn, who had been walking out of the RV at the time, panicked and went to grab an axe.

"Just the one?" Rick asked, using his hand to shade his eyes from the sun to get a better look at the area Andrea was pointing to. The blonde woman grabbed a pair of binoculars and checked the area again.

She nodded curtly. "I bet I can nail it from here."

She bent down to grab the gun.

"No, No! Andrea, put the gun down," Shane said, walking out from the campsite his shirt wide open and his chest exposed. "You best let us handle this."

"Wait, hold up!" Rick intervened. "Hershel wants to deal with walkers."

"What for man? We've got it covered," Shane said, brushing him off as he walked past.

Rick watched them walk towards the walker before muttering a "damnit" under his breath and rushing to the RV to grab his gun. He darted towards the group, quickly catching up to them before they reached the Walker.

On top of the RV, Andrea held the gun up steadily and tried to line it up with the Walker in sight. She let out a sigh and lay on her stomach to achieve a better aim.

"Andrea, don't shoot," Dale warned.

"Back off, Dale." Andrea said evenly.

Rick made it to the walker before the others and held his gun up, ready to shoot if need be. He hesitated for a moment as he recognized Daryl. But he was covered in blood and was glaring at the group with such ferocity, Rick thought he had been bitten and was changing into one of the Walkers.

"Is that Daryl?" Glenn asked. The man before them looked so animalistic covered in dirt and blood, as his lips pulled back into a snarl. He wasn't sure this was their fellow campmate.

"That's the third time ya' pointed that thing at my head." Daryl said, his voice in a low growl. "Ya' gonna' pull the trigger or what?"

Rick let out the breath he was holding and lowered the gun while Glenn clenched up behind him. It was Daryl after all, but Grace wasn't with him which meant she had never found him. But the girl hadn't returned to camp yet-something was wrong. She must've gotten lost or hurt. They needed to go look for her. Glenn seethed as he remembered the way Shane had held him back. They should never have let her go out alone.

Suddenly a shot rang out in the field, covering the silence. The man before them fell to the ground as his head whipped around from the force of the bullet. Rick was the first one to react, rushing forward to aid the fallen man.

"No!" he screamed. "no!"

Daryl wiped at the blood now gushing from the fresh wound on his head as Rick and Shane helped lift him up. They needed to get him back to the camp.

"I was kiddin' man." Daryl said, his voice rough with pain as Rick removed his necklace laced with walker ears from his mouth. The trio only made if a few feet before his body slumped forward as he passed out from exhaustion and pain.

Andrea and Dale ran to the group, panicked.

"Oh my God! Oh my God!" She screamed, realizing she had shot Daryl. "Is he dead?"

"Unconscious." Rick answered, not looking at the woman. "You just grazed him."

"Guys, look at him! What the hell happened to him? He's wearing ears." Glenn began. "and Grace isn't with him. And she hasn't returned."

Dale looked at him with worry, "What do you mean she hasn't returned?"

Rick ripped the necklace off of Daryl's neck and shoved it down his shirt.

"Dumb girl went to look for him awhile ago." Shane said and Glenn glared at the older man.

"You let Grace leave camp?" Andrea asked in shock.

"She ran off." Rick said. "We didn't think she would go far. Figured she'd come back after she got scared."

"But she didn't!" Glenn nearly shouted.

Rick tried to keep the group calm, "Let's get Daryl to Hershel and then we'll discuss where we should go look for Grace."

"Guys!" T-dog called out, stopping everyone for a moment. "Isn't this Sophia's?"

He held up a ratty doll caked in dirt that was easily recognizable. But Rick knew the only way they were going to get answers was if they got Daryl help. The man needed to be conscious to answer their questions. So he continued to guide Daryl to the house, more eager this time because he wanted answers

Awhile later, Daryl was awake as Hershel sewed up the gash in his side.

"Found it washed up in the creek bed." Daryl said, glancing down at the stitches Hershel was sewing in with apprehension. "She must've dropped it, crossing it over there."

"Cuts the search grid in half." Rick said, looking to Shane who didn't look impressed.

"Well yer welcome." Daryl grunted, fidgeting even more as he continued to watch Hershel. "Where's Grace?"

Daryl figured the girl would've been in here the second he was awake preaching some shit about the bible and praying for him. Usually it annoyed him, but he found himself oddly missing it when her presence was nowhere to be found.

Shane and Rick glanced at each other for a moment.

"How's he looking?" Rick asked Hershel, ignoring Daryl's question for a moment.

"Had no idea we'd be going through the antibiotics so quickly." Hershel said, applying some onto his cut as Daryl winced.

Rick let out a sigh and glanced down. Their supplies were running low which meant they would need to make another run into town. But they also needed to go looking for Sophia and Grace.

"Any idea what happened to my horse?" Hershel asked, moving away from Daryl to rinse his hands off in a basin of water.

"The one that almost killed me?" Daryl bit out. "If it's smart it left the country. Now is anyone gonna' tell me where Grace is? Ain't she suppose to be in here prayin' for me or doing some choir girl shit?"

Rick looked down at Daryl. The man was still fidgeting around and he knew he had to get some rest. But if he told him that Grace had left the camp and still hasn't returned, Daryl would try to go find her. And right now, he needed to rest. They couldn't afford to lose him. Not in a time like this.

"We call that one Nelly." Hershel said, breaking Rick's thoughts. "As in Nervous Nelly. I could've told you she'd a thrown you if you had bothered to ask. It's a wonder you people have survived this long. And where is that girl? Beth was looking for her earlier, wanted her help tending to the chickens or something."

Rick's eyebrows pulled together in conflict for a moment before answering, "She's, uh, sleeping in her tent. Carol and Lori tired her out."

Shane glanced at him in confusion but didn't say anything. Daryl nodded at his answer, closing his eyes as he laid on the bed. It was obvious that he was exhausted and Rick knew they should let him sleep. Hopefully, they'd go out and find Grace before he woke up and then they wouldn't have to deal with that mess. It was a bit odd though, that Daryl was asking for the girl. Rick had seen them together a few times and was beginning to wonder what was going on between the two.

As soon as they left the room, Shane jumped on him.

"Why didn't you tell him about the girl?" He asked harshly under his breath so no one else would hear.

"He needs to rest." Rick said, rubbing his face in stress. "If I told him, he would be on his feet, trying to look for her. That will do no good for anyone. So we'll go look for Grace now. She couldn't have gotten far. We'll bring her back before he wakes up."

Shane studied him for a moment, "And if we don't find her?"

"She survived last time. And she was out there by herself for more than a day." Rick answered. "It's only been a few hours. She probably got lost on her way back. She won't be hard to trace."

Shane shook his head, "We've already sent enough men out into the forest. She doesn't come back before the night, she's probably dead."

"We already made the mistake of letting her leave alone." Rick hissed out. "We are not going to make another."

With that being said, he walked away from his best friend, eager to get a group together to go look for the missing girl.

* * *

"Come on, girl." Sam huffed, grabbing Grace by the upper arm to lift her up after she had fallen for the second time, "We ain't got all day."

The group had been walking for at least two hours.

Grace felt dirty. More than dirty. Filthy. It was as if someone had breathed death and sickness into every crevice of her body. It hurt to breath, hurt to move, hurt to be alive. She had never felt so violated in her life. She could still feel his fingers on her, his dry, cracked lips on her's. She could taste him, smell him, feel him. It was like he had managed to take a piece of her and fill the emptiness with his benevolent presence.

Her skin itched as she could feel him everywhere on her body and she had already managed to scratch through the skin of her lower arm, blood seeping from the shallow cuts. Her jaw was bruising, blood of the man who had all but raped her still smeared across her face, tear stains covered her cheeks and her ribs felt as though they were snapping in half with every step she took. The cool air nipped at her bare skin; the wind piercing her damaged flesh like needles. She tried to cover herself but her ripped shirt did little to protect her.

She felt something dangling around her neck and looked down to see the cross necklace her mother had given to her when she had just turned thirteen. And suddenly she felt angry. Where had He been? Where had He been the whole time she was being violated, touched, contaminated, forced, hurt, and filled with sin? She had spent her whole life devoted to Him. Praying, reading the bible, following His commands, helping God's children who didn't have a privileged life such as her's, bringing salvation to people, protecting those who needed protection, loving those unloved, mending the hearts of those broken.

All those years of complete devotion. And in the time she needed Him the most? He had disappeared. Not one string has held down from above to lend her some sort of protection, some sign of love. She had prayed and prayed and He had never answered. She felt tears pooling in her eyes as she grabbed at the necklace and ripped it off, throwing it down in the mud and never looking back as she continued to walk off.

She was alone now.

Alone to face these men who wanted nothing more than to use her for their own sin.

She was in the Devil's grasp now and her salvation? It would never come. Daryl had been right. God wasn't watching over them anymore.

Suddenly the man in front of her stopped, turning around to give her the exact same smile that had appeared on his face the moment he tore the clothes straight of her body. She felt a chill run through her body as the man behind her grabbed onto her upper arm and began pulling her towards the foreign campsite. She could see lines of tents set up, maybe about ten. The remains of a campfire at the base of the camp.

There were men hanging around all areas. One washing a few knifes with a bucket of water, another stringing up some meat to cook, another smoking a cigarette at the foot of his tent, and others loitered around. She could feel the eyes of them on her as the two men paraded her through the campsite. She was met with smirks, suggestive looks, whistles and other gestures that made her feel so empty and dirty on the inside.

"Where'd ya' find that thing?" A larger man said, walking up to the trio. He smirked at Grace, making her recoil slightly as if she was about to be hit.

"Came across her in the words by herself, believe it or not." Sam spook, still holding onto the girl. "Shoutin' something about a Daryl."

"Daryl yer boyfriend or somethin'?" The man grunted at her.

Grace was incapable of answering his question, fear gripping her heart so tight that her vision was coated in black, fuzzy dots.

"I asked ya' a question, girl." The man hissed moving towards her but Sam pulled her away.

"Don't touch her." He said, "Takin' her straight to the Boss. She's a virgin. Ya' know how expensive those go for nowadays. Can't roughen her up too much. Gotta' keep her face nice or nobodies gonna' want her."

"Why would we wanna' sell a little thing like her?" The other man said.

" 'Cause ain't no virgin gonna' protect us against the dead." Sam grunted. "We need guns and supplies. We sell her to the highest bidder. The boss knows how this works. He won't be likin' it if he hears ya' touched her. Probably keep her away from ya'll until he sells her off. Can't risk someone losin' control. Not when the price is so high."

The man didn't reply as Sam continued to drag her off. Grace let herself be dragged off, desperate to be away from the ogling men whose stares made her skin crawl. Sam opened the door to what looked to be a shed that had been used for tools and various things. Why was there a random shed in the middle of nowhere? She didn't think twice about it as she was shoved into the space roughly. She fell to her knees, scrapping the delicate skin.

"Go get the Boss." Sam commanded Johnny-who nodded and left the room.

Grace felt relieved when that man left but her body remained tense as she cautiously watched the man above her. He bent down to her level and grabbed her chin in his hands. A wave of fear washed through her body as she looked up into his cold, brown eyes.

"Now ya' listen to me?" He snipped, "Ya' do as I say and ya' don't talk unless the Boss asks ya' a question. And ya' don't hesitate to answer him. Ya' hear me? I've seen too many girls disappear in the past few weeks and I'd hate to see that happen to ya'."

Pure terror coated Grace's entire body at his words and she nodded her head slowly not wanting to be hit again.

"Good girl." He said, patting her cheek before standing up.

The door to the shed was opened again as Johnny walked in with a new man who Grace assumed was the "Boss". He was a tall man, tanned skin from the sun with thick eyebrows, high cheekbones, and a perfectly sculpted nose. He wore a button up shirt with the sleeves torn off, exposing his large, muscular arms and the several tattoos that wrapped around the flesh. His head was shaved like Shane's and his cold, green eyes glanced over her. She felt her body clench up in anticipation.

"This is the virgin?" The man asked, walking around Grace like a hawk stalking its prey.

"Yup." Johnny answered, looking proud of himself and Sam for finding her. "Found her fresh in the woods."

"What were ya' doing in the woods by yerself, girl?" The man asked, bending down in front of Grace.

Grace suddenly felt angry. They could kidnap her, rape her, hit her, hurt her but she would not let them get any information out of her. She was long gone by now. She had no use protecting herself. So she would protect her group. Because that's what people do when they love others, they protect them. So she was not about to open her mouth and tell them anything that would lead them back to the people who had looked after her for so long.

The man looked frustrated by her silence, "I asked ya' a question. Best answer it now."

She saw Sam give her a look from his place besides Johnny but she kept her glare focused on the man in front of her. She kept her lips sealed still which angered him more. The force of his hand coming down on her face didn't even surprise the young girl as she fell to the side from the blow. Her already bruised face was set on fire from the hit as a red handprint started to immerge on her pale flesh. She refused to make any noise, not wanting to give him any satisfaction. The man went to hit her again but he was stopped by Sam's voice.

"She was looking for someone named Daryl." He piped up. Grace turned to look at him and he stared back at her with a stony gaze.

"Daryl, ya' say?" The man said, looking back at the girl, "Now why couldn't ya' say that yerself girl? Cat gotcha' tongue?"

Grace just continued to glare at him, fire burning through her veins. The man smirked at her, finding amusement in her resistance. He would break her down and then she would be ready to share all her secrets.

"Is this Daryl yer boyfriend?" He snipped, "Gonna' be a group lookin' for ya' when ya' don't return?"

Grace stayed silent. Her entire body was an inferno. Her ribs still sore, her face bruised and bloody, her eyes dry from the hours she spent crying on the way here, her feet sore from walking, her body exhausted and filthy from Johnny's abuse. But hell would have to break loose before she opened her mouth and led these evil men straight to her group, to Glenn, to Rick, to Carl, to Beth….to Daryl.

"Gonna' play the silent game, huh?" The boss snapped as he grabbed onto her long hair to force her to look at him.

Her lips were sealed.

"I don't have time to deal with this. Sam, check to make sure she's a virgin and break her in for me. Next time I come in here those lips better be ready to talk." The boss said, standing up.

Sam quickly nodded at his commands and the boss began to leave the room. When he saw Johnny staring at the girl, his face contorted in a smirk, he hit the boy on the backside of the head.

"Doncha' have some squirrels to gut?" He grunted before walking out of the room. Johnny followed him out quickly.

Once the two were gone, Sam bent down in front of Grace, glaring at her.

"Didn't I tell ya' to answer all his questions?" He growled, "Do ya' want to end up like them other girls? Or are ya' gonna' do what I say?"

"I rather be dead then answer to the Devil." Grace spat out.

Sam observed her closely before letting out a sigh. He walked away from her to a spot in the far corner. He gathered some dirt in his hands before coming back to her and kneeling in front of her. He spit on his fingers and rubbed some dirt into it, making it dark and less dusty. He lifted it to her face and she recoiled from his touch.

"What are you doing?" She asked, looking confused.

"Look, he comes back in here and see's ya' the exact way he left ya', he's gonna' know I didn't lay a finger on ya'." Sam replied, "I'm savin' both of our asses right now."

Grace watched him curiously as he began to spread the mixture over the side of her face, just above the eyebrow making it look like she had been hit hard by something. He covered his hand in dirt and grabbed onto her arm, making a dirty handprint. He put some more on her neck to make that skin looked bruised. He continued to wipe the dirt and spit mixture on various places of her body to make her look beat up.

"Now take yer clothes off." He commanded, standing up.

Grace looked at him with wide eyes, suddenly fearful. Was he going to rape her the same way Johnny had?

"I ain't gonna' touch you." He said, sensing her fear. "Ya' can leave yer underwear on. But I'm supposed to be makin' sure yer a virgin. Can't do that if ya' have clothes on. The boss knows that."

Grace hesitated. This was the same man that let her be abused by Johnny in the forest. How could she trust him not to do anything to her when he had left her to be raped? When he had walked away from her, taking her knife, leaving her completely defenseless…How could she trust him now? She looked up into his brown eyes as he peered down at her. His gaze was cold, hard, like he had seen too many things in his life to ever make him open to anyone, but at the same time, it was different from Johnny's, from the boss's. He was cold but he wasn't malevolent.

"Come on, girl." He sighed. "We ain't got all day. He's gonna' come back in here soon and ya' better listen to me this time or he'll take matters into his own hands and things aren't gonna' be lookin' too good for ya'."

Grace began to slip the ripped up shirt from her shoulders. The loose fabric fell to the floor in a small heap as she felt tears forming in her eyes as she looked down at her body. There was a bruise on the top of her left breast, bite marks on her neck, scratch marks down the side of her stomach. She swallowed the bile she felt rising in the back of her throat. She unbuttoned the top of her shorts slowly as Sam began to walk behind her, ruffling up the hay on the floor to make it look like there had been a scuffle. She slid the shorts from her legs, tears falling from her eyes this time as she saw more scratch marks on her inner thigh and remembered the way Johnny's touch felt. Sam bent down in front of her and grabbed her chin lightly.

"Now, ya' answer his questions this time." Sam said, his voice even.

Grace observed him for a second through teary eyes, "Why are you doing this?"

Sam stared into her blue eyes for a moment, " 'Cause-'Cause I need to survive. And I can't survive on my own. I need these men. But I can't sit here and hurt ya'. So Imma' keep us both alive for as long as I can. Once ya' get traded off, there will be nothin' I can do."

"It's not too late, Sam." Grace spoke. "I know God still has faith in you to make the right choices and get back on the noble path. It's never too late to escape the Devil's grasp."

Sam tightened his hold on her chin, "God has faith in me? Well I don't have no faith in that sick bastard anymore. Where was yer God when my family, my wife and children, were ripped right from my arms and eaten by those…those things? Where was God when my daughter was screaming as their teeth tore through her flesh? Ain't no God here anymore. He left us a long time ago."

He let go of her face and stood up. Grace watched him with cautious eyes as she absorbed his story.

"Now, be a good girl and answer the Boss's questions." Sam said as he walked towards the door, "Or he might find more worth in killin' ya'. And ya' won't be dying a virgin."

He walked out of the shed, leaving Grace on the floor, paralyzed by fear.

* * *

_Oh I'm holding my breath_

_Won't see you again_

_Something keeps me holding on to nothing_

_Come on, Come on, don't leave me like this_

* * *

Rick, Glenn, and T-dog were searching trampling through the forest, their heavy feet crushing the leaves below them. They had been following Grace's tracks for about an hour now and Rick was a little surprised about how far the girl had gotten. He, like Shane, had expected her to get scared and run back to the camp but it appeared that she wasn't as frightful as they imagined. Something had motivated her to keep going. And that something was Daryl.

Daryl Dixon, the man that Rick had lied to a few hours ago. Rick had told the redneck that Grace was sleeping in the tent but it wouldn't be long before he would begin questioning the group again for the girl's whereabouts. Rick wasn't sure what was going on between the two but right now he was focused on finding Grace and bringing her back before Daryl even noticed his lie. He would question their relationship at a later time.

Andrea and Jimmy were continuing the search for Sophia while Dale and Shane kept watch at the farm.

"Does Daryl know Grace is missing?" Glenn asked as his brown eyes glanced around the woods, looking for the petite blonde girl.

"No." Rick said, looking around as well.

T-dog looked at him in shock for a moment.

"You didn't tell him?" He asked.

"Daryl needs to focus on getting better." Rick sighed. "And knowing that Grace had gone out to look for him and never returned will not help him."

"And he didn't even ask where she was?" Glenn asked, still following the footprints in the muddy ground.

"He did." Rick answered. "I told him she was sleeping."

"And what happens if we don't find her?" T-dog asked. "What do you think Daryl's going to do when he realizes you lied to him?"

"We're going to find her." Glenn said with conviction.

The group went silent after that as they all went back to focusing on finding Grace.

They came upon a small break in the trees, a tiny field in the midst of the forest. Rick's eyes narrowed as he glanced over the area. Grace's tracks suddenly stopped. But not like they had the time she ran after the walkers. The wind didn't cover the prints this time. In fact, to Rick's trained eyes, it looked like there had been a scuffle here. The leaves and mud were sloshed around unnaturally and there were a few footprints of large boots in the mix. He stopped for a moment. Grace's feet weren't that big. Someone else had been here. A walker?

"Guys, is that blood?" Glenn asked, his face pale as he bent down to observe some red liquid by a tree.

Rick walked to his side and bent down as well, sliding his fingers in the liquid. It was thicker than water and dark red. It was blood but it wasn't walker blood that had a slightly different color and consistency.

"Are these buttons on the floor?" T-dog asked from behind them, picking up some white buttons that were scattered on the floor.

Glenn grabbed one from his hand and his face went paler, "These are from Grace's shirt."

"Are you sure?" Rick asked, looking at them as well.

"I'm positive." Glenn said. "I got her a white button down shirt back in Atlanta. These are her's."

"Do you think that's her blood?" T-dog asked the question the two other men didn't have the heart to ask.

"It might be." Rick sighed, "There's some other footprints here. One's much larger than Grace's."

"A walker?" T-dog question.

Rick shook his head, "If she had gotten attack by a walker, there would be some remains. Bones if anything. A walker didn't do this."

Glenn examined the tree, noticing some scratch marks.

"Guys, come look at this." He said and the two other men went to his side.

"She put up a fight." Rick said, "But whoever was here with her was much larger."

"What do you think happened to her?" Glenn asked, not even wanting to know the answer.

Rick glanced over the area again.

"Kidnapped." He let out. "I think she was kidnapped."

Glenn felt bile rise up in the back of his throat as he thought about his friend. If this was her blood, then whoever had taken her had hurt her as well. And if they did kidnap her, then it was clear they weren't friendly people. There was only one reason a man would take a girl these days. It was hard to keep people fed so there had to be some other reason that outweighed that cost. Glenn stopped his mind from thinking any further; the answer making the bile rise up further.

"Why would someone want to kidnap her?" T-dog asked. "Ain't no way anyone wants another mouth to feed."

Rick looked at him, his eyes full of guilt, "Think about it. A group full of men-full of testosterone. They come across Grace. Probably haven't even seen a woman in a couple of months. She's not just another mouth to feed."

T-dog understood his meaning and let out a curse, "Fuck!"

Glenn traveled to the far end of the field and noticed a trio of footprints, two large ones and Grace's small ones.

"We need to find her." Glenn said, "There are more tracks over here. We need to find her and we need to get her back."

Rick looked over the men for a second, "It's getting too dark. We need to return back to camp. We'll come back tomorrow."

"What do you mean we'll come back tomorrow?" Glenn nearly shouted. "Grace is out there with some men. Who knows what the hell they're doing to her! We need to find her tonight."

"Glenn I know you want Grace back. We all do." Rick said, pinching the area between his eyes. "But if we continue we won't be able to see the footprints clearly and we might mess them up. And we don't know how many men are in this group. We need more guns and people in case things turn bad."

"We can't just leave her!" Glenn fought back.

"We are all worried, Glenn." Rick said, trying to keep the boy calm, "We'll find her and we will get her back. But we can't do it on our own. We need the sunlight and we need at least Andrea and Shane."

"And what are you going to tell Daryl?" Glenn snapped.

"Daryl will be asleep probably." Rick said. "We don't tell him anything. We'll go out tomorrow and get her back. The group can't be too far from here."

Glenn bit his lip as he looked at her footprints in the mud accompanied with two strangers. He wanted desperately to go find the girl, but in the back of his mind, he knew Rick was right. They needed more people just in case these men were trouble. Rick's small handheld, T-dog's bat and Glenn's pickaxe wouldn't put a dent in the group if they had guns or stronger weapons. And they needed the sun to be able to track the trio more efficiently. He felt his resolve break down as he reasoned with himself. They needed to go back to camp and return tomorrow. He just hoped that Grace would be okay until then.

* * *

Grace wrapped her arms around her half-naked, bruised body as she sat on the floor in the shed she had been thrown in. She didn't know how long she had been sitting in here. Sam had made his exit in what seemed a few hours ago. The air was getting colder, nipping at her bare skin; feeling like tiny needles plunging into each pore. She wanted to escape desperately, but she knew she couldn't leave the shed dressed as she was into the camp full of hungry, perverted, unholy men. Sam still had her knife and she would be completely defenseless if one of them decided to attack her.

Her mind fluttered back to her old campsite. They were probably sitting around a warm campfire. Glenn was probably flirting with Maggie, Rick huddled with Lori and Carl, Shane frowning as he silently observed everyone, Andrea and Dale chatting up about Dale's old adventures, Carol staying quiet as she worried about Sophia while T-dog tried to soothe her. They were probably eating some gutted squirrel that Daryl-

Daryl.

Daryl hadn't returned when she left camp and she hadn't found him because of Sam and Johnny. She felt her heart drop into her stomach. She knew Rick and Shane knew she was missing but she prayed they weren't searching for her. They needed to be searching for Daryl. He was hurt, she knew it. She hoped they had found him and he made it back to camp in one piece. She prayed that he was okay, resting somewhere and keeping warm. And Sophia…they needed to be looking for Sophia as well. Grace hoped they weren't looking for her while Sophia and Daryl were still missing. Those two needed to be saved. Grace…well Grace was on her own now. And it was entirely her own fault. But maybe this is what God intended for her. It was a test on her faith.

And it was definitely taking her toll on her.

She was ripped from her thoughts as the door to the shed was busted open and the Boss and Same walked in.

"Ready to talk now, girl?" The boss said, walking in front of Grace, "Sam here tells me he beat ya' good and looking at ya', I can tell. Said ya' was a virgin as well."

Grace looked up into his cold eyes. She could feel fear entering her heart and running through her veins, but she tried to push that poison from her body. Fear was the same thing that drove these men to the Devil. And she was not about to let Satan take her soul as well. God might not be watching over her anymore, but she would not let the Devil get a hold of her. She was stronger than that.

"So, are ya' going to tell me about that group you was a part of?" The boss said, bending down to her height. He pushed her knees down so they weren't blocking her face as she continued to glare at him.

She could see Sam shooting her a look from behind the man, but she refused to look at him. Sam might be content with answering to this contaminated man, but Grace wasn't about to break down like he had. She owed her life to her group. They had kept her alive, looked for her when she went running off, fed her, kept her warm. She would not lead these horrible people to them.

"Don't tell me yer gonna' play the silent game again?" The boss said, grabbing her face in his large, calloused hands.

Grace pulled her face away from his grasp which only angered the man further. He grabbed at her hair, taking a large chunk in his stone grasp and tugged it back with such ferocity that Grace couldn't help but let a gasp of pain escape her cold lips. He leaned his head down close to her own as his face pulled into an ugly scowl.

"You better start talkin' now, girl." He hissed.

But Grace refused. His hand came down hard on the side of her face, making her body slump to the floor from the force of the blow. She raised her left hand to cup her flaming face as her jaw began to ache even more. He grabbed her by the upper arm and yanked her to her feet. She felt even more exposed as she couldn't hide her half-naked body behind her legs and arms. He held her firmly, his fingers digging into her soft flesh.

"You answer my questions or I will make ya' beg for yer death." He growled as he pressed his fingers even harder into her skin, causing her to flinch.

When Grace still refused to answer, he punched her in the stomach. He knew to stay away from her face if they were going to trade her off for guns and supplies. No man wanted to buy an ugly girl. So he would keep his blows lower until she caved.

Grace felt the air knocked out of her and her eyes welled up as she fought to catch her breath. He sent another jab her way, knocking her to the floor this time. She hit the ground hard, letting out a tiny grunt as her body screamed from the pain. He sent a kick to her ribs, hitting the same place Johnny had, causing her to let out a tiny yell. He only smirked at her scream and kicked her again.

"Don't ya' think that's enough, Boss?" Sam asked hesitantly from his spot. He couldn't stand watching this but he still feared speaking against the man who could easily turn on him.

"We needa' find out about her group, boy." The man grunted, looking down at the broken girl. "They might be lookin' for the bitch and we don't know how big they are, or how many weapons they gave. They could have guns."

"Just give her time." Sam said. "She'll break down over time. Leave in here like this and she'll break down soon enough."

"We don't have time!" The boss yelled as he aimed another kick at the small girl who had tears pouring from her eyes now.

"But-" Sam began.

"Leave!" The boss interrupted, "Leave us. Now."

Sam glanced down at the girl who refused to look at either of them. He had tried to help her but she refused. He couldn't do anything anymore without risking his own life. He let out a sigh and turned around to leave. He couldn't deny his boss's orders.

The boss bent down in front of Grace again, yanking her face to look at him. He pulled a knife from the waistband of his pants and wiggled it in front of her face.

"Look familiar?" He snarled causing Grace to recoil.

She looked down at the knife and recognized it as the one Daryl had given her. She looked back up at the man above her with wide eyes.

"Maybe this will get ya' talkin'." He said as he tightened his hold on the knife.

He placed the tip of it on her thigh and she tried to push him away, but he easily overpowered her and began to slide it down to her knee. She felt her skin ripping and blood began to seep out of the wound. A scream fought its way out of her mouth at the pain as her tears started to flow quicker.

"Definitely getting some noise outta' ya' now." The boss smirked as he moved the knife away from her thigh and to her arm. "Might as well keep going until ya' start usin' yer words."

He sliced at her arm and she let out another scream as pain engulfed her body. Her heart was pounding in her chest as the man continued to make cuts in various places of her body. Blood coated her cold skin as sweat began to drip down her scalp as she was covered in pain. But she refused to answer his questions. She knew her death was inevitable but she would not bring death to the people she loved.

"Still not gonna' talk?" The man snapped as he slid his knife down her inner thigh.

Grace's body was shaking and she couldn't even begin to bring herself to fight back as the pain was becoming too much to bare. The boss suddenly forced his lips on her's, slamming her head into the ground beneath her as he silenced her cries with his mouth. She tried to push him off of her but he pulled away and held the knife to her throat.

"I will get ya' to talk one way or another." He growled lowly, "And I heard Johnny got to have his fun with ya'. Now it's my turn."

He placed the knife on the back of her ear and created a shallow cut down to the middle of her neck. She quickly covered the cut with her hand as she cried in pain. She could feel the warm blood gushing onto her fingers. He placed his lips on her neck, right where the cut ended and bit at the soft flesh, causing her to scream again. He slapped her in the face quickly.

"Stop yer screaming." He snapped, grabbing her chin in his hand, "Are ya' going to talk now?"

But Grace just pulled her face out of his grasp again, refusing to look at the man. He pulled away from her as he sighed in anger and frustration. He slid the knife back into his waistband and Grace felt a tiny bit of relief enter her body as she watched it slide away from view. But then the man began to take his belt off causing her to freeze up again. But he didn't undo his pants. He leaned down and rolled her onto her back. She tried to get up from her spot as her body ached in pain, but he shoved her back down.

"Time to teach ya' a lesson the way my good ole' dad did for me." The man said, holding the belt.

The entire camp could hear the girl's screams as she felt the leather snap down on her tender skin. Sam cringed from his spot outside the shed. He had warned the girl. But she hadn't listened to him. She refused to listen to him. And now all he could do was sit out here and listen to her heart-wrenching screams.

* * *

_It's getting dark and it's all too quiet_

_And I can't trust anything now_

_Something's made your eyes go cold_

_Something's gone terribly wrong_

_Come on, Come on, don't leave me like this_

* * *

The group was sitting around the dinner table in Hershel's house, eating a nice meal for once. Lori and Carol had asked Maggie for permission to cook everyone a nice dinner, a way to say thanks to Hershel for all he's done for them. It was quiet though, as everyone ate without the presence of Sophia, Grace and Daryl. The two girls were still missing and it wasn't hard to see everyone was still worried about them, give or take a few people such as Shane.

But there was an obvious tension in the room.

Glenn, who was sitting at the "kids" table with Beth, Jimmy, Maggie and Carl, couldn't stand the silence anymore.

"Does anyone know how to play guitar?" He asked, turning around to face the larger table.

The movement in the room stopped for a second at the intrusion of noise and Patricia's face contorted a bit before smoothing out as she thought of her late husband.

When no one replied, Glenn continued, "Dale, uh, found a cool one. Somebody's got to know how to play."

Patricia frowned a bit and hesitated to answer, "Otis did."

The tension in the room increased as Shane's eyes shifted around.

"Yes." Hershel said, touching the woman's hand lightly. "And he was very good too."

The room went back to silent and Glenn turned back around, feeling a bit guilty for bringing it up. Everyone went back to eating. The only sound in the room being the cling of silverware against the fine china plates. Nobody except Dale and Hershel noticed as Maggie slipped a piece of folded paper over to Glenn underneath the table. He read the note, trying to bit back a smile on his face as he answered and handed it back.

But then he thought of Grace…she had told him that Maggie would come around eventually. That she knew the older girl would end up liking him because he was so kind and funny and thoughtful. The thought of his friend made him lose his breath as he thought of how she was somewhere in the woods being…being abused by a group of men.

Suddenly Carol stood up from her spot at the dinner table and everyone looked to her.

"I'm going to bring Daryl a plate." She explained, "He must be hungry."

Lori and Rick nodded approval at her words and she quickly loaded a plate of meat, rice and some other food for the injured man in the room. She left the room without another word to go see the man who had hurt himself looking for her daughter.

She opened the door lightly and the man in the bed turned to look at her. He covered himself up with the sheets quickly and she smiled a little at his modesty.

"How ya' feeling?" She asked softly.

"Not as good as I look." Daryl muttered, his voice rough from just waking up. He turned back around, folding his arm under his head.

Carol let out a little sigh, "Brought you some dinner. You must be starving."

Daryl looked at the plate for a moment.

"Did Grace wake up yet?" He asked suddenly causing Carol to frown.

"What do you mean?" She asked confused. She knew the girl was missing. Did nobody tell the man yet?

"What did ya' women do to her anyways?" He grunted. "Rick said ya'll tired her out."

"Daryl, I haven't seen Grace since this morning." Carol said in confusion.

"What do ya' mean ya' haven't seen her?" He asked, turning around completely to look at the woman. Rick had told him that Lori and Carol had tired her out and that she had been sleeping when he arrived. But she should be awake by now and eating dinner with the others.

"Daryl…Grace, she, uh, well." Carol sputtered out.

"Well spit it out, woman." Daryl snipped. "Where is she?"

Carol felt her resolve break. She was so use to being commanded around by her late husband that she didn't think twice about answering the man.

"She left camp this afternoon to look for you when you never returned." Carol said, her voice barely a whisper. "She never returned."

"What?" Daryl nearly yelled, sitting up. "Are ya' tellin' me that Rick lied to me? And that he let her go off on her own into the woods?"

"Daryl, calm down." Carol tried to soothe but the man looked anything but calm. "They went to look for her. Found a lead and everything but it got dark. Rick said they'd start up again tomorrow."

"They just left her out there?" Daryl was shouting this time.

He suddenly rose from the bed, cringing a bit at the pain but he ignored it for the moment. The woman tried to push him back down, knowing he could hurt himself but he just pushed her out of the way and placed his feet on the ground. It took all his power to stand up and he nearly collapsed, but found his balance and started to walk towards the door.

"Daryl!" Carol yelled, "Daryl, you can't be walking around. You're going to hurt yourself."

"Do I look like I care, lady?" He snapped before limping out of the room.

The group in the dining room had heard the shouts and looked up in surprise as the saw Daryl making his way towards the room. Carol ran out from behind him.

"Rick, I'm sorry." She pleaded.

Rick stood up from his place at the dinner, knowing what this was all about.

"Where's Grace?" Daryl grunted, looking straight at Rick. "Why the fuck didn't ya' tell me she ran off on her own?"

Hershel cringed a bit at his language but didn't say anything as everyone looked to Rick.

"Daryl, what I did was for your own good." Rick said evenly. "You need to rest. Grace will be fine. We know where she went. We'll find her tomorrow."

Glenn suddenly stood up as well, knowing Rick was just sprouted out more lies.

"Grace is not fine and you know it!" He said.

Daryl looked towards the Asian boy, his eyes narrowing, "She dead?"

Everyone held their breath as the question lingered in the air.

"She's not dead, Daryl." Rick said, trying to keep everyone calm.

"There where is she?" The other man yelled.

"Rick just tell them what we found." T-dog sighed, tired of the screaming.

Rick looked conflicted for a moment, looking towards Carl.

"Lori take Carl out of the room." He commanded and Lori instantly sprung up from her seat.

"What?" Carl yelled, "Why can't I hear?"

But Lori soothed the boy easily and got him out of the room.

"Are ya' gonna' tell me the fuckin' truth now?" Daryl hissed angrily.

"Look Daryl, we tracked Grace's footprints." Rick let out. "But uh, someone else found her before we did."

"What do ya' mean?" Daryl asked, his voice low.

"What he means is we found blood, a lot of blood." Glenn said, his face pale like before. "And it wasn't walker blood."

Daryl only seemed to get angrier if it was even possible as Beth let out a gasp of horror.

"But she ain't dead?" Daryl grunted.

"We think she was kidnapped." Rick said after a moment of hesitation.

This time Dale, Andrea, Patricia, Maggie, Carol, and Beth let out noises of terror. Hershel's eyes widened a bit and Patricia slapped a hand over her mouth as she thought of the young girl. Beth had tears welling up as she thought of Grace who had become something of a friend to her in the past few days. It was only yesterday that she was helping her clean up the chicken coup.

"And why do ya' think that?" Daryl asked roughly.

"Her footprints disappeared. And there was an area that looked like a scuffle had occurred. There were scratch marks on a tree indicating that she fought back. And there were two sets of larger footprints." Rick answered, "But they left a trail and we plan on following that tomorrow."

Daryl's face contorted a bit as he rubbed his hand down his cheek in anger and frustration.

"I'm comin'." He said.

Shane stood up this time, "No you aren't. You ain't ready to be moving again."

Daryl glared at the man, "I don't care. I'm comin'. Ain't nobody gonna' say anything to change my mind."

Rick frowned. He knew things would come to this if he had told Daryl what happened to Grace. He didn't want the man to hurt himself farther but Daryl wouldn't listen to anyone. Rick knew he wouldn't.

"Rick forgot to mention one thing." Glenn said.

Rick glanced at Glenn, shaking his head. The group was already scared; they didn't need to worry everybody even more. But Glenn refused to look at him. He couldn't lie to the group like Rick.

"What?" Daryl snapped at the boy.

"We found these." Glenn said, pulling some buttons from his pocket. "And other pieces of a ripped up shirt."

Beth could feel a few tears slip from her eyes as her sister grabbed onto her hand to comfort her. Shane looked down, feeling guilt rise into his stomach as he thought about what happened at the CDC. Rick frowned again, knowing how Daryl would react while Carol let out another gasp of horror and Patricia's face turned pale at the news.

Daryl felt unadulterated anger rise in his stomach and up into his throat. He felt his body turn cold at Glenn's words as Grace's face popped into his mind.

"Fuck." He growled, not even finding words to express his anger as he stormed out of the house.

He needed to find Grace.

He needed to find her and make sure to kill every single man he found on the way.

* * *

_I thought I had you figured out_

_Can't breathe whenever you're gone_

_Can't turn back now, I'm haunted_

* * *

**Author's Note: PLEASE DON'T KILL ME. So things got intense realll fast, I know. But I SWEAR the next chapter is going to make up for all of it, just hang in there. Originally, I planned on having Grace raped all the way. But your guys' reviews were so sweet and you were all so concerned for Grace that I couldn't do it haha. SEE, I told you guys that your reviews have the power to shift the plot sometimes. Anyways rough times ahead, but I promise the next chapter will all make up for this. PROMISE.**_  
_

***Credit goes to Taylor Swift for the song lyrics in between sections. (Haunted by Taylor Swift)**

**Leave a review and let me know what you think! Sorry this took so long! Love you all(:**


	12. Begin Again

***SOOO, this is my longest chapter yet. HOLY SHIT IS IT LONG. But I hope you all enjoy it nonetheless. And don't forget to check out the Author's Note at the bottom because I have a nice, little challenge for all my readers! (: AND SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG TO POST. I had a nice Halloween weekend haha. I went to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios in Hollywood and went through two Walking Dead mazes and got my ass scared in both of them. HONESTLY, all of the Walkers decided to target me. One even followed me through the maze! And my friends thought it was hilarious -_- If a real zombie apocalypse happened, I guess I would be the first to go since I attract them so easily haha. Maybe Daryl can save me ;)**

**Mena in the Garden: **I hope your little girl is doing better! And if you thought the other one was long, I'm sure you'll enjoy this one ;) haha sorry I didn't ask you to look over this one or anything but I figured you were super busy with work and taking care of your daughter. But I hope this one's up to par with everything! Thanks for review and hope you enjoy (:

**EmpireandAll: **You're review honestly made me laugh out loud haha. Sorry about the wait! I hope this one brings the feels back to ya'! (:

**Psychovampgurl: **Buffy's too kick ass for Grace unfortunately haha. Thanks for all the reviews! I did read them all! And I guess Grace just attracts rapists...or maybe I just like writing about them? Which is extremely odd...haha anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter! (:

**Bubs1: **You said Sophia but I'm going to assume you meant Grace haha and Sam comes to play in this chapter a little bit so I hope you enjoy that (: Thanks for the review! Hope ya' enjoyyy!

** : **So I noticed that your username got cut off the last chapter and was like WTF?! Haha, I'm glad you love the song Haunted. I'm like going through some sort of Taylor Swift phase right now. The song Safe and Sound is what inspired this story actually! And I think a little toughness in Grace will do her some good haha. Thanks for the review again and hope you like this one (:

**HUGE THANKS to Beckah Salvatore-Winchester, Mrs. Alexandra-Hale, redtailedhero, TiffanyRebecca, lme3, orcafan1, Icycolour, anniebananaie14, Emberka-2012, domodepp, snemes, taylor allie, peachx89, SoFarFromPerfect90, sarabear91, isopt, J. R. the exorcist, StoryReader1996, DeviantDames, Leyshla Gisel, shippolove844, and any guests who left reviews as well! Also thanks to all my loyal followers and people who favorite this story! Love you all!**

* * *

**Safe and Sound**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Begin Again**

* * *

The camp was frantic the next morning. Grace's kidnapping was now common knowledge and Sophia was still missing. Daryl, who had managed to pull out a few stitches during his tirade the night before, had been cleaned up after some scolding from Hershel. But now he was sitting in his tent, sharpening some knives in preparation for the search. He didn't care that he was still in pain or that he could hardly walk. He needed to be out there searching for Grace. He needed to.

He left his tent once he finished up his final knife, running it down the rough skin of his finger to admire its new sharpness. He hobbled towards the group; his tent had been a few ways from them. As soon as Rick saw him walking around, he jumped on him.

"Daryl, you can't come." Rick reasoned. "You're still hurt. You need to rest."

"To hell wit' that." Daryl snapped. "Last time I left her safety with ya'll, she ended up missin'. I'm going and ya' can't say anything to make me stay."

"Look, I know you want Grace back. We all do. But you coming along will only slow us down. We can't let them get too far ahead of us or we'll never be able to track them in time. You need to stay here." Rick held.

"And what the fuck am I supposed to do here?" Daryl grunted. "Sit 'round and hope ya'll bring her back? Good fat o' luck that'll do. I needa' be out there searching for the damn girl. Ya' let her be kidnapped. How am I supposed to trust you'll find her?"

"Grace walked off on her own, Daryl. To look for you." Rick replied. "What you need to do now is stay here and get better. When she comes back she's going to need you and you can't be there for her if you're half alive."

Daryl let some breath out as his fist clenched in frustration. He knew he could barely walk; he knew he would slow them down. But at the same time, he didn't want to sit here and wait. He felt so powerless…so useless. He wanted to be out there looking for her and he wanted to find her. And then he would make sure to kill the people who were responsible for this. He wouldn't even use his crossbow to get the job done. No, he would do it with his bare hands. And he would feel immense pleasure as he watched the life drip from their body. They would never have the chance to lay a hand on her again.

"Stay here, Daryl." Rick's voice broke the silence. "For Grace. She might be hurt and need Hershel's care and if you don't get better, he can't focus all his attention on her. So stay and rest. We'll bring Grace back."

Daryl's face contorted with confliction, "Fine."

He staggered back to his tent, eager to get away from everyone. His lateral was screaming in agony, his entire body ached for Christ sake but he was only fixated on one thing: Grace. He could picture her in his mind-hanging up clothes as he spoke with the group about Sophia's search grids. He remembered the way she looked up at him when he had told her that he would be back later, the worry in her soft blue eyes as if she cared about him. She was the only person who had ever looked at him that way; as if he meant something to her. And the way she would cling onto him those nights they spent together; as if he was the only thing left in the world.

He could see her face now. Her coiled, golden hair, her eyes the hue of the sky on the warmest Georgia summer day, the little freckles that adorned her nose and cheeks, her ski-slope nose, her glowing cheeks, and her velvety ruby lips that reminded Daryl of the wild berries he would consume in the woodlands when he was just a kid. He recalled the way her eyes would light up at the sight of birds, rabbits or any forest animal, "God's creatures", as she would call them. Or the way her soft voice enveloped him as she preached stories from the Bible and assured everyone that God was still watching over them, a vigilant protector.

With her presence missing, Daryl could feel that same unfamiliar sensation in gut. It was the same reaction he had when he found out Merle had been left behind to die. Could he possibly care for Grace?

Daryl wasn't use to caring for people. Growing up the way he did, it wasn't an option to get attached to anyone because frankly, there had been no one to even get attached to. His father was hardly around and when he was, Daryl was just his punching bag as the pain of losing a wife and the anger he felt towards the world consumed him with every sip of alcohol. Merle had taught him most of the things he knew today but he had spent most of his life in Juvie, leaving Daryl to fend for himself. He cared for his brother. But even Merle had never looked at Daryl the way Grace would. As if his well-being played some part of importance in her mind.

Daryl Dixon was not a man that most people were enamored by. In fact, everyone stayed out of his path for the most part. The Dixon family had a bad reputation around their small town, which wasn't surprising. Their neighbors could hear the yelling of his father, the crying of him and his brother when they were both small children being hit by a man twice their size, and the news of their abuse spread like wildfire. But no one had ever come to their aid. And as he grew up, he also grew cold. He had scars that littered his body to remind him never to grow close with anyone because they would just hurt you. He turned to alcohol much like his father had. He would get in bar fights, get thrown out of places and he had gone to jail once for destruction of property. The people in his town never looked at him with anything but disgust in their eyes. So he had grown to accept that he was Daryl Dixon, the revolting, white-trash man that no one would ever like.

But Grace didn't see him that way. She saw him as the hunter with a trained eye who would protect her if need be. The man who she could fall asleep with and trust that he'd watch out for her in the midst of the apocalypse. When she looked at him, he never saw any repulsion, any hate. She cared for him. He could see it in her eyes. And sometimes it made him uncomfortable. Nobody had ever cared for him before. But here she was, a perfect angel in the middle of a battle field. She cared for him.

And judging by the way he was feeling now, he returned the sentiment. He had never cared for a woman before. They had always been there to soothe his hormonal imbalance but it had never gone any further than that. He would have never gone for someone like Grace simply because she wouldn't put out and he wasn't willing to take the time with her. But thinking of the younger girl now, he realized he hasn't been waiting all this time for her to have sex with him. He was content with just sitting next to her. Anything beyond that was just a want, not a need. So what did that mean?

Daryl Dixon wasn't a man made for love. He knew that. He didn't think he loved Grace. And maybe he never would. Hell, he didn't even know what love felt like so how would he ever be able to tell? But he definitely cared for the girl and he definitely wanted her around. But why? Why was he becoming so attached to the preacher's daughter? It was a dangerous thing to become so involved in a time like this. Any day could be someone's last. He didn't want to form attachments with anyone. But Grace had managed to squeeze her way into his thoughts and take a permanent place there. And he had let her because it had felt good to let someone in for once. To know someone didn't see him as disgusting or revolting. To know someone looked at him and actually cared. It had been something he had never experienced.

Suddenly, Andrea entered his tent, stirring him from his thoughts.

"Hi." She let out hesitantly. "Uh, this is not that great but-"

Daryl grabbed the book she was holding out to him and flipped through the pages.

"What? No pictures?" He joked, but he was relieved to have something to keep his thoughts occupied.

Andrea let a smile cover her face before shaking her head, "I'm so sorry. I feel like shit."

"Yeah." Daryl said, grabbing the pillow behind him to angle his neck better. "You and me both."

"I don't expect you to forgive me but if there's anything I can do-"Andrea began.

"Ya' were tryin' to protect the group." Daryl interrupted. "We're good."

Andrea felt surprised for a moment. She had been sure Daryl would've let out some insults her way, throw some jabs about her lousy shooting. But he just gave her a slight nod before fiddling with the arrow in his hand. She couldn't help but realize that maybe Grace was taming the man before her. He wasn't as volatile these days, not as intimidating as he had once been. She couldn't help but think the young, preacher's daughter had something to do with this. Her heart panged thinking about the blonde girl, remembering her warm words about Amy and the way she seemed to get her back on her feet, helping her realize she didn't want to die. The group needed her. She might not be able to take out many Walkers or even help protect the camp that much but the group needed her.

Andrea stood up and dusted her hands on her pants.

"About Grace…I'm sorry about that too." Andrea sighed. "Had I known she had walked off, I would've gone with her."

"Not yer fault." The man grunted as he peered out the tent netting.

Andrea studied him for a moment, "They'll bring her back. It might not seem as though, but she's a tough girl. She'll be okay."

Daryl didn't reply to her but she could see his lips pull down in a frown. He cared about her. It was easy for Andrea to see that. Despite the age difference, she found herself thinking that Grace was good for Daryl. She had managed to bring out a different side to the man and Andrea was beginning to see that. And Daryl had a few things he could teach the girl as well, make her stronger, keep her alive. They were a good pair. Fuck social norms. There wasn't a place for those in the world these days. It was all about surviving and holding onto the bit of humanity you had left in you.

Andrea began to leave the tent when Daryl's voice stopped her.

"But hey, shoot me again," He started. "Ya' best pray I'm dead."

Andrea gave him a small smile before walking away, leaving him to his thoughts again.

He wasn't sure how long he lay in his tent. But the air was getting cooler and the sun appeared to be lowering beneath the horizon. Daryl felt his heart clench up as he realized the group that had gone looking for Grace hadn't returned yet. He rolled over onto his good side as he closed his eyes, trying to shut out the world. He didn't want to feel this. He didn't want to be worried over some girl. It was a wonder that Grace had made it this far and that was due to him and the group. But now she was out there alone and Daryl had never felt so powerless in his life. He could only lay here and hope she was smart enough to keep herself alive but he wasn't so sure. He wasn't sure at all.

The outline of a figure walking towards his tent made him roll back over. He quickly recognized Rick due to the cop uniform and hat. He felt dread pool up in the bottom of his stomach as he didn't see Grace anywhere.

Rick stepped into his tent, taking off his hat and Daryl watched him with heavy eyes.

"She dead?" His voice was like nails on a chalkboard.

Rick shook his head and Daryl felt his body relax a little.

"We don't think so." Rick said. "There's a blood trail but it doesn't appear to be coming from Grace's tracks. It seems to be connected to one of the larger footprints with her. We think she fought back and managed to hurt one of them. But we can't be sure."

Daryl felt some pride well up inside as he thought about Grace nailing one of them.

"If she ain't dead, where is she?" He asked.

"The tracks continued, but it got too dark. We had to turn around." Rick replied. "But we're setting out first thing in the morning. Their camp can't be too far from where we left off. We'll get her back tomorrow."

Daryl held back his tongue as he turned his head away to face the window of the tent.

"Is that all?" He inquired.

"Well, no." Rick frowned. "We found this."

Daryl looked down to his hands to see what he was holding out and his heart clenched up again as he recognized Grace's cross necklace. He was paralyzed for a moment as he stared at the gold jewelry but he slowly reached out a shaky hand and grabbed it from Rick. It felt so light and delicate in his hand…just like Grace. He grabbed onto it tighter, his knuckles turning white.

"I'm coming with ya'll this time 'round." He said gruffly. "Imma' find those bastards and Imma' kill them. Ya' ain't stoppin' me this time. I don't get care if ya' say I need rest. I've been hit worse than this. I'm comin' tomorrow. No arguments."

Rick's frown grew as he looked at the man but he nodded, knowing there was nothing he could say this time to change his mind. Daryl rolled back on his side, signaling that the conversation was over. Rick ducked out of the tent, guilt eating away at his stomach. He should have never let Grace walk off. Daryl might be a little rough and inconsiderate, but he was always there for the group when they needed him. He brought them meat, looked for Sophia more than any of them did, risked his life just to bring back some doll, and had always been vigilant during his patrols, keeping safety a priority. The least Rick could've done was make sure Grace stayed safe until he had returned. He didn't want to even begin to understand what was going on between the two, but he couldn't deny the fact that they seemed to fit each other.

Grace had a funny way of bringing out the good in people and Rick could see the effect she had on Daryl. And he knew the girl meant something to the older man. That was easy to tell by the way he reacted to her missing presence. Rick knew that Daryl always kept her safety in mind. He knew he owed the hunter for the things he had done for them. He could've started to pay back that debt by keeping the girl safe when he was gone. But he didn't and now this rested on his shoulders.

But something told him they would find her tomorrow. Maybe not in perfect condition, but they just needed to get her back.

* * *

"She hasn't spoken, yet?" Sam's voice said.

"Nope, dumb bitch passed out after I hit her 'round few times." The boss's voice replied. "Guess we just trade her off. If her group comes lookin' for her, we play that we never saw her. They can search here all they like but she'll be long gone before that."

"Ya' don't think maybe her group will trade something for her?" Sam inquired. "Maybe they've got a shit ton of supplies."

"Ain't no way they're gonna' be making any trades." The other man said. "A girl as clean as her had to have come from a big, strong group. They'll take her by force if anythin'. We have better use tradin' her to some group and leavin' it be."

"If ya' say so." Sam gave in. "Got a group in mind then?"

"Yup." The boss replied. "Already got them comin' over to get a look at her in a few hours. We'll be gettin' some nice guns and loads of ammo after this."

Grace felt her heart go cold as she listened to the two men's conversation from inside the shed. What the boss said had been true. He had whipped her a few times around with his cold, leather belt and she had passed out soon after that. The pain had become too much for her body to handle. When she awoke, she had been alone still lying in a puddle of her own blood.

Her body was incredibly sore. Everything hurt. Her throat was dry, her lips cracked, her skin raw and bloody, her muscles ached, and her heart…her heart was broken in half. They had taken everything away from her. She didn't even feel like herself anymore. She wanted to scream, shout, punch something and cry but she didn't even have tears to help soothe her pain. Her body was vacant of anything except pain.

"Now, why don't ya' go in there and clean her off before our guests arrived." The boss broke her train of thought. "He won't want to buy no ugly, dirty bitch."

The door to shed opened up and Grace's eyes narrowed as light filtered in, blinding her. It shut as fast as it had opened and once her eyes readjusted, she caught sight of Sam holding a bucket of water and a rag. He looked at her with pained brown eyes and she scrambled up quickly, covering her body with her arms.

"I needa' wash the blood off ya'." He said lowly.

As he got closer, she backed away.

"Don't come near me." She warned, her body clenching up.

Sam let out some breath as he stopped walking.

"Look girl, I tried to warn ya'." He said frustrated. "But ya' didn't listen to me."

"Why should I listen to you?" She snapped. "You're the one that dragged me here."

"We're all trying to survive these days." He huffed. "I didn't ask for this but this is what I was given. I tried to warn ya'. I did all that I could."

"No, you haven't." Grace answered. "You let the Devil take you without even putting up a fight. God might not be watching anymore but that doesn't mean you turn your back on the person who died for our sins."

"He turned his back on us!" Sam was suddenly angry. "He left us all here to rot. 'Sides, the boss ain't the devil. He knows how to keep us alive. Nothings 'bout good or bad anymore. It's about survivin'."

"Living in the Devil's name is not surviving at all." She retorted.

"What the hell do ya' know about survivin' anyways?" He bit back. "Girl clean as ya' probably had some big group who watched over ya'. Some of us aren't that lucky. Someone of us have no one."

Grace had no words for the man because he was completely right. She did have a group that protected her, made sure everyone had food to eat, kept everyone safe. She hardly did anything besides wash their clothes and help cook them food. She didn't know what it was like to be alone out there. Sure the first few days of the apocalypse she had spent in the tree by herself but Daryl had found her before it was too late. She didn't know what it was like at all.

When she went silent, Sam ducked the rag into the bucket of water and moved closer to her, kneeling down. She refused to look at him as he began to wipe her face of blood. She cringed as he touched her sensitive skin but allowed him to keep cleaning her off. All she wanted was for this to be over. But how would it end? Would she just be traded to some other men who were more vicious? Or would she end up dying? She knew she could never kill herself but she was kind of hoping for death. She would rather be killed then live a life like this.

As soon as he pressed the cloth against the cuts on her arms, she let out a hiss of pain and he instantly pulled it away as her eyes welled up. He had managed to open the healing cut and blood began seeping from the wound again. His eyes widened as he observed it and he quickly dropped the rag as if now noticing how badly the girl had been hurt. She covered the wound with her palm, trying to ease the pain with pressure but it did nothing.

Sam quickly stood up and began walking backwards as horror covered his face. He knocked into the bucket, causing the water to spill all over the floor. He couldn't take this anymore. He couldn't stand to see her like this…all bruised, bloody, cut up, lifeless. He couldn't stand here and witness this as he knew it was partly his fault.

"I'm sorry." He choked out. Grace could barely understand him. "I can't-I just can't."

And then he ducked out of the shed, shutting the door behind him. He needed to get away from the group…away from everything. So he quickly walked out into the forest, not looking back.

Grace was alone again.

* * *

_This must be where she got kidnapped_, was the first thought that entered Daryl's mind as he observed the area where the new tracks began. Rick had stuck to his words and the group-still healing Daryl, Glenn, Andrea, T-dog, and Rick had set out first thing in the morning. Shane and Jimmy were going to continue the search for Sophia while Dale kept watch back at the Farm.

Daryl took notice of the scratch marks on the tree, the dried up blood on the leaves that coated the ground, and the new footprints that accompanied Grace's small ones. He was still pissed off. So angry that he failed to notice how painful it was to walk, to move, to breath. He wasn't focused on himself right now. He was focused on Grace; focused on getting her back and killing anyone he came across. Seeing the blood and the evidence through his own eyes for the first time only increased his rage.

He quickly left the area, wanting to get to her faster. The group followed behind him as T-dog and Rick shared a look. Daryl was an angry man. They all knew that. But there was something about him now that actually frightened Rick. Firstly, he had never seen the man so angry. But he wasn't just angry…he was hungry. Hungry for the blood of those who had brought harm to Grace. Rick could hardly believe it himself. He knew there was something going on between the two…but he didn't know Daryl cared this much. He doubted Daryl even realized it himself.

Rick shook his head as he focused back on following the tracks. They needed to find Grace.

"She must've cut him good." Daryl grunted. "Fucker's still bleedin'."

He could help but feel pride well up in his stomach as he thought about the preacher's daughter injuring the bastard with his knife.

"Thank God for that." T-dog muttered. "Tracks are beginning to disappear but we can still follow the blood."

Daryl nodded as his pace increased.

"What are we going to do to these guys once we find the campsite?" Andrea asked, holding her gun at ready just in case.

Rick frowned, "I don't-"

"Kill 'em." Daryl interrupted, not looking back. "We kill those sona' bitches."

"We don't kill the living." Rick reiterated.

Daryl whirled around, face contorted with anger, "Look _cop_, last time I checked people who kidnapped someone get a fast ticket to jail. Ain't no jails 'round here no more except one, hell."

Rick was about to add some reason into the discussion when suddenly, they heard the crinkling of leaves…someone was nearby. Daryl held his crossbow at ready, full hunter mode already intact. He began to creep towards the noise, holding a finger to his lips as he looked at the men behind him. Rick pulled his gun up in defense while T-dog tightened his hold on the baseball bat. Daryl ducked behind a tree and peered around to see what was making that noise. He stood up once he caught sight of a Walker, feeling oddly disappointed.

Daryl aimed his crossbow in line with the groaning thing. However, just as he was ready to shoot, another man, a stranger, came up behind the thing and shanked it in the back of the neck. It dropped to the ground with a thud and the man bashed its head in, making the Walker go still. Daryl lowered his crossbow in surprise for a second, but quickly snapped back into hunter mode. Maybe this guy had something to do with Grace.

Before Rick could stop him, he darted towards the guy. The man, who hadn't seen Daryl, froze in shock as he saw the man barreling towards him. His brown eyes widened in fright and he tried to dodge the attack, but Daryl was too fast. He quickly grabbed him in a chokehold, holding a knife to his throat. The man let out heavy breaths as terror surged through his body.

"Who are ya'?" Daryl grunted.

"Let go of me." The man hissed out, trying to fight the muscular guy off of him.

"I asked ya' a question." Daryl snapped. "Now answer it."

Rick stepped out from behind the tree, followed by Glenn, Andrea and T-dog.

"Daryl, let the man go." Rick slowly said. "We can talk about this calmly. There's no need for violence."

"Like hell there isn't. This fucker could have something to do with Grace." The man's body tensed as the name slipped from Daryl's mouth and the hunter noticed. "Now I'm not gonna' ask again. What is yer name?"

"Sam." The man breathed out.

Daryl released the man from his hold, shoving him to the floor. He stepped on his chest firmly, holding him down with his heavy boot. He grabbed the crossbow from his shoulder and aimed it at the man's head.

"Ya' see a girl walkin' around out here?" Daryl growled. "Blonde, curly hair and blue eyes?"

The man was still frozen as he stared at the weapon pointed at him.

"Daryl, I'm not going to tell you again." Rick called out. "He might be innocent. We can talk this out. Just let him go."

"Yer name's Daryl?" The man spoke, startling them all.

"What's it to you?" Daryl asked, coldly.

The man closed his eyes for a moment before answering, "I did see a blonde girl in the woods, looking for a Daryl."

Daryl's foot pressed harder in his chest as Glenn froze up next to Rick.

"Yeah?" Daryl snarled. "See where she went?"

"I took her." The man whispered, guilt eating away at his stomach. "I took her to my campsite."

Daryl's vision turned red hot with anger and in one second, he was bent down next to the man, grabbing onto his shirt with clenched fists and pulling his face close to his own.

"Yer the sona' bitch who kidnapped her?" He spit out.

Sam looked away, ashamed. "Yes."

Daryl didn't hold back anything as he punched the man straight in the face, causing him to fall to the side as blood began to gush from his nose. He laid another punch on his eyes, sending the man's body flying in the opposite direction from the force of the blow. Daryl was on top of him in a blink of the eye, sending another punch his way.

"Daryl!" Rick yelled running to the pair on the floor. "Calm down!"

"Ya' want me to calm down?" Daryl growled as he punched the man on the side of the head. "This is the bastard who took Grace. I ain't gonna' calm down."

Daryl stood up from the bleeding man, whipping his crossbow out and pointing it at him.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill ya' right now?" He grunted. "How dare ya' put a finger on her, ya' disgusting, piece of shit."

Rick placed a hand on Daryl's shoulder.

"Daryl, I know you're upset." Rick said. "We all are. But we need this man to take us to their campsite. We will deal with what to do with them afterwards. But right now we need him."

Daryl stayed silent as he continued to glare down at the man. This was the man who had taken Grace away from him, who had hurt her, kidnapped her and left her to be abused by his group of men. He wanted nothing more than to place his hands around the man's neck and watch the life be sucked from his eyes.

"I don't have any good reasons for ya'." The man wheezed out, causing the group to stare down at him. "I took that girl to Boss knowing he would trade her off for weapons. I led her straight to hell. This was my entire fault. I…I don't have no good reasons for ya'. So shoot me. Kill me right here. It's more than what I deserve."

Daryl kept his crossbow aimed at his head but hesitated slightly when he thought about Grace. She would no doubt be yelling at him to stop, to not kill the man, even though he had kidnapped her. Because that's how she was: always looking for kindness in even the most despicable people.

Rick looked at Daryl unsurely, "Daryl, come on, put it down. We need to get to Grace. We can deal with this later."

Daryl let out the breath he was holding in and lowered the crossbow finally. Rick was right. They needed to find Grace. He bent down and grabbed the man by the upper arm, yanking him up. He pushed him forward a little bit and pressed the crossbow into his back.

"Take us to her now." He demanded.

The man nodded and began leading the group in the direction he had come from.

It wasn't too long before they arrived at the campsite. It was small, only a few tents. There didn't seem to be any women around. Some men were cooking some squirrels over a fire, others cleaning off weapons while some smoked cigars at the foot of their tent. Daryl felt the anger in his stomach increasing with each step they took closer to the campsite. Rick placed a hand on his shoulder, pushing him back a little so he could take lead.

"Let me do the talking." The cop hissed.

Daryl wasn't too pleased with the order but accepted, "As long as I get to do the shooting."

Rick gave him a disapproving look but didn't reply. As soon as they stepped into camp, a few of the men hounded on them.

"Is this the group comin' to trade for that girl?" One of the men asked Sam.

Daryl felt another surge of rage rush through his body and was about to go after the man when T-dog laid an arm over his chest, keeping him back. He glared at the other men but settled himself for the moment.

Before Sam could answer, Rick stepped in.

"Yes." He replied. "We're here to look at the girl."

The men glanced over their group, noticing their guns and weapons with greedy eyes.

"I'm takin' them to her right now." Sam played along before gesturing for the group to follow him.

Sam knew the Boss was inside his tent, probably sleeping or eating before the real group who was going to trade arrived. He figured maybe he could get Grace back to her group before he noticed she was gone…but he knew once the Boss found out, he was done for. He would be killed no doubt. He could run away, maybe get far enough before they came looking for him. But part of him wanted to die. He wasn't so sure that he was cut out for this world. He had led himself to believe that he could be like the Boss, stone cold about everything except his own life. But the more and more he became aware of what was going on behind the scenes, the more he was realizing that maybe he would be better off dead. Maybe he could be reunited with his family.

But right now, he had to get the girl out of here. He had done enough to her. He owed his life for her because he had almost taken her's away by bringing her here. So he led the group to the shed as fast as he could. He fumbled with the key to the shed with shaky hands, but quickly unlocked it. He turned back to the group. The black man and the Asian were keeping watch on the campsite behind them, the girl had her gun in a firm hand, the man with the crossbow, Daryl, looked ready to spill blood, and the cop's hard gaze was still focused on him. He turned back around and pushed the door open, squeezing his eyes shut as he knew the scene would not be pleasant for the group.

Daryl was the first to enter, pushing Rick out of the way as he darted into the shed. The sight he was met with made him sick to his stomach. Grace was in the middle of the small room. Her body was exposed, just her bra and underwear on to cover her. She was huddled in a ball, holding her knees to her chest as tightly as she could. Her long hair was filthy, covered in dirt and caked with dried blood. Her jaw was discolored, black and blue as bruises masked her face. Her arms were cut up, dried blood smeared over the delicate skin and her legs were in a similar condition. Daryl felt his body freeze up as the rest of the group entered behind him.

Andrea let a noise of horror escape her lips before covering her mouth with her hand. Glenn's face turned pale as he felt bile rise up his throat. T-dog looked away from the girl, not able to stand the sight of Grace so broken. Rick's gaze hardly changed but inner turmoil was eating away at him. He felt angry…nothing like Daryl was feeling but he was definitely pissed.

But Daryl was beyond the limit of anger. He was infuriated as he let some breath out of his nose, his body still clenched up. He wanted nothing more than to kill every single man in this campsite. And he would. But right now, he had to take care of Grace. He began walking towards her, taking his shirt straight off his back as he drew closer, ready to cover her with it. She seemed to notice the group now and looked up at them with distant eyes.

Her eyes widened and she suddenly looked fearful.

Daryl walked closer to her and she began to back away. He was confused for a second but continued on, only causing her to move further away.

"Grace?" He called out but she didn't respond to him.

She pushed herself as far away from the group as she could, pressing her body up against the wall. She looked like a wounded animal that was afraid of humans. Something that had been beaten so bad that even the slightest touch made them mad. She looked like Daryl had when he was just a kid trying to get away from his dad. The sight made his heart turn cold.

Rick came up behind him.

"Daryl. " He began. "I've seen this response many times with abuse victims. She's been psychologically hurt. She's not going to react well to us. The only person who has a chance of getting through to her right now is Andrea. Let's go outside, let Andrea coax her into coming back with us while we deal with the men."

Daryl didn't reply as he continued to stare at Grace. He wanted to take her in his arms, rush her back to camp where Hershel could clean up her wounds. He wanted to hold her tightly, try to soothe the fear out of her. But he also wanted to hurt every single man who had touched her the same way they had hurt her.

"Come on." Rick said, leading Daryl away. Rick gave a nod to Andrea and she understood. Daryl passed his shirt over to her and she took it, looking back towards the girl with a deep sadness. T-dog had stepped out of the shed already, not able to handle the sight anymore. Glenn was still staring at Grace, his face even whiter and his body cold. Rick placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed him out.

"She'll be okay, kid." He said softly. "She'll be okay."

But both Daryl and Glenn couldn't help but doubt his words.

As soon as Sam was in Daryl's sight, he pushed him against the wall of the shed, his knife pressed against his throat.

"What the fuck did ya' sick bastards do to her?" He growled.

Sam looked up at the man knowing he had every right to be angry.

"The Boss was going to trade her for supplies." Sam muttered. "Virgins are high in price these days. I tried to keep her safe, but she refused to answer any of Boss's questions so he tried to force it outta' her."

"What kind of questions?" Rick asked from his place behind Daryl.

"Questions 'bout ya'll." Sam answered. "He wanted to know things about ya'. Where ya'll were staying, if ya'll had guns-that sorta' thing. She didn't tell him anything though. Girl was like a rock, staying completely silent."

"So he beat her?" T-dog exclaimed.

Sam nodded, looking away from them, "I tried to warn her but she didn't want him to know 'bout ya'll. Figured she was lookin' out for ya'. Didn't want him to find ya'll."

Rick felt his insides clench as he thought about the preacher's daughter trying to protect them, trying to protect his family. She could have easily spoken up, told them everything. But she had stayed silent and let herself be hurt…for them.

"Where is he?" Daryl suddenly growled out, pressing the knife deeper into Sam's skin, causing the man to flinch. "Where's this boss guy?"

Sam lifted a shaky arm and pointed to a large, family-sized tent a distance away from his own group. Daryl backed off the man and turned back to Rick.

"Do what ya' want with them." Daryl said, pointing back to the campsite. "But that fucker's mine."

Before Rick could reply, Daryl stalked off towards the tent.

* * *

"Did ya' get to touch her?" Johnny muttered excitedly to his Boss as he cleaned the man's shoes. "Her tits felt real nice. Different from my ole' woman; that's for sure."

"Sam said she was a virgin." The Boss grumbled. "Didn't tell me ya' touched her."

"I didn't take her virginity." Johnny replied. "Used my fingers a lil' bit. Damn cunt felt nice."

The Boss rolled his eyes, "Won't ya' shut up and go back to cleaning my shoes before I kick ya' out."

Johnny quickly snapped back to his work but that didn't stop his mouth from running, "Don't tell me ya' don't wanna' touch her. Haven't seen a woman in weeks, much less a lil' thing like her. Why ya' selling her anyways? Should keep her to ourselves. Could have some real fun with her 'round."

"We'll come across other women." The Boss said, fiddling with a knife. "This one's too expensive to keep. We need guns, boy. Guns and supplies. Those have more worth than some little girl righ' now."

"I don't think ya' be sayin' that if ya' had just felt her up once." Johnny continued to argue.

Unknowingly to the pair, a certain hunter had been listening into their conversation, crossbow at ready with a thirst for blood in the back of his throat. The rage that consumed Daryl only increased as he listened to their conversation. They had been keeping her a virgin; he was able to deduce that but that sick bastard that was in the tent with him had touched her with his filthy hands and that was enough to made Daryl's vision turned red. He didn't want to hear anymore of the conversation, so he quickly rammed his way into the tent.

There was a man sitting on the floor with a pair of hunting boots in his hand. He dropped them in surprise at the arrival of Daryl. The other man was sitting on a chair, spinning a knife in his hand. He stood up when the hunter had entered the tent, knife at ready.

"Who the fuck are ya'?" The man with the knife hissed.

Daryl's eyes narrowed, "Daryl. Sound familiar?"

The man froze for a millisecond, but long enough for Daryl to catch it. He smirked at him, his eyes ready to see the man die at his hand. The man on the floor stood up as well, knowing exactly who Daryl was.

"How'd ya' find us?" The Boss asked coldly.

"Little fellow named Sam." Daryl snapped. "Don't worry about yer other men. They're in _good_ hands. But you two are mine."

The one that had been cleaning the shoes tried to dart out of the tent, terror entering his body at the man's words. But Daryl was quicker than him. He quickly shot an arrow at his calf, sending the man to the floor as a cry of pain escape his lips. The accurate shot left the man paralyzed.

"Yer gonna' sit there and wait yer turn." Daryl growled before looking back towards the Boss.

The Boss threw his body towards the hunter, trying to strike him with the knife. But Daryl's muscular body easily over powered the man. He grabbed the arm that was holding the knife and twisted it tightly pulling the man around and holding his arm behind his back. The man dropped the knife and let out a hiss of pain as Daryl sent a kick to the back of his knees, sending him to the ground.

Daryl was on top of him in a matter of seconds, punching every inch of skin he could get his hands on. The man tried to fight back but Daryl was much stronger than him and sent a blow to his head that nearly knocked him unconscious. He could hear the man he had shot with an arrow trying to get up behind him and he abandoned the Boss for a second to load his crossbow with another bolt and send it flying towards the man. It struck him in the exact place Daryl had aimed for, his arm. The man cried out again, unable to crawl away from the pain.

Satisfied, Daryl turned back around and continued his assault on the other man.

"Think ya' can just hit 'round girls 'cause ya' feel like it." He hissed down at the man. "Kidnap them, abuse them, trade them off. Ya' took the wrong girl this time, asshole."

He grabbed his knife from his waistband and held it to the man's warm flesh on the side of his cheek.

"Cuttin' her up to get yer fuckin' answers outta' her." Daryl growled and dragged the knife down the man's face. Blood gushed from the deep wound as the man yelled out in pain. "How do ya' like being knifed up, ya' sick bastard?"

He stabbed the man on the top of the thigh and his body shook from under Daryl as pain engulfed him. Daryl felt immense pleasure at the sight of his pain and continued to beat the man to a pulp. Before he could die however, Daryl stood up from the floor and wiped the blood off his knife on the man's shirt. The Boss's face was so swollen, he would be hard to recognize by his men. And he was covered in blood. He couldn't even move as his vision faded in and out.

Daryl turned around to face the struggling man on the floor. He looked up at him with fearful eyes.

"Please, sir." He tried to beg. "I didn't do nothin' to that girl. Don't kill me. Kill him. He's the one that touched her. Not me."

Daryl leaned down and grabbed the man by his shirt, pulling his face close to him.

"Do ya' think I'm dumb, you fuck?" He snapped. "I heard yer little conversation before I entered. I know yer the one who laid yer nasty ass fingers on my girl."

"I didn't know she was yers!" Johnny continued to beg hopelessly. "Please."

Daryl sent a punch his way as the man began crying like a little girl. He fell back from the force of the blow as blood began gushing out of his nose. Daryl kicked him hard in the ribs, hearing a crunch of the bone that sent a wave of pleasure through his body. This man had touched Grace. This man had laid his fingers on Grace. That was the only thought that was entering his mind right now.

He grabbed the arrow from the man's calf and yanked it out of his body, causing him to scream in pain. He did the same thing with the arrow in his arm. Daryl bent down next to the man again, twiddling with the arrow in front of his face, taunting him. He used his other hand to grab his hair and twist his head back. The man grunted as he was forced to look at the stronger man.

"Now, Imma' teach ya' a lesson about touchin' things that aren't yers." Daryl continued to taunt. "Keep yer fingers to yerself."

He dropped the arrow and grabbed one of the man's hands. He grabbed onto his index finger and bent it backwards as his muscle tensed. When he heard the snap and the man's cry, he released the finger and grabbed onto the next one. He repeated the process, slowly breaking all five fingers. The man's eyes grew hazy at the pain and his face turned paler. Once all fingers were broken, he dropped his hand onto the floor causing the man to wince as tears continued to pour from his eyes.

Daryl sent another punch to the man's face, who couldn't even fight back anymore. Daryl was never one to fight those who were weaker, knocked out or couldn't fight back. But knowing this man had touched Grace was enough to make him forget about that. So he continued to strike at the man and only stopped when he was near the point of passing out.

The Boss, who was regaining a bit of strength, started to writhe on the floor to exit the tent. But Daryl found some rope in the corner of the tent and sat the man up, tying his hands behind his back. He did the same with Johnny and sat them next to each other. He grabbed both of them by the hair and dragged them out of the tent, next to a nearby tree.

He took the rope tying their hands into his grasp and wrapped it around the tree before securing it in a knot. He leaned down and grabbed the Boss's ankle in his hand before twisting it with the power of an enraged lion. It snapped in his hand and the man shouted in pain. He did the same to the other ankle and moved onto Johnny who had a similar response.

"Thought 'bout killing ya'." Daryl grunted. "Wanted to real bad. But ya'll don't deserve death. Ya' deserve to suffer. So I'll leave ya' here as Walker bait. Have a nice life, bastards."

And that was when Daryl turned around and walked off, feeling largely satisfied with his work.

* * *

Andrea had one arm wrapped around Grace's waist as she helped the younger girl walk. It took all of Daryl's control not to run to her aid, to lift her up in his strong arms and carry her back. But from the way she reacted to them earlier, he knew it would be a bad decision. She was still afraid, still damaged from the trauma even if she was safe now. So he left her in Andrea's care, but walked behind them, keeping a close eye on the younger girl who was covered in his shirt.

The group didn't get that far before Andrea caught their attention.

"Guys, I think she's going to pass out." She said quickly as the Grace's body suddenly grew heavy in her hold. She slumped forward a little bit as her eyes closed and Daryl was instantly at her side, lifting her into his arms.

"I've got her." He muttered, tightening his grip on her small body.

Rick looked back and gave a small nod. The group continued forward, eager to get back to the farmhouse. T-dog was following close behind Rick while Glenn would glance back at Grace every now and then, concern coating his face. Andrea took up the rear now that Daryl had the girl, watching their backs with her gun at ready just in case any of the men tried to follow them back or a Walker came by.

Even though Daryl was still injured, he didn't even feel any pain. He just wanted to get Grace back. He didn't care about himself at the moment, only Grace. So he moved at a faster pace, even with her weighing him down.

The group made it back in record time and before Lori, Carol and Dale could bombard Daryl to check on Grace, Rick shooed them off. They needed to get her inside. The moment Hershel saw the young girl in the hunter's arms, he escorted them to the same room Carl had healed in.

Beth was standing in the hallway when Daryl passed by and her sight locked onto her friend who appeared lifeless, all bloody and bruised. She felt tears spring in her eyes and Hershel commanded her to go find her sister. She didn't need to see this.

Daryl ignored the commotion and placed Grace on the bed lightly. He grabbed the chair in the corner and dragged it over to the bed, taking a spot next to the girl. He grabbed onto her hand, not wanting to ever let go of her again.

Rick entered the room behind him and stood at the foot of the bed while Hershel began preparing some antibiotics, cloths and bandages for the girl. Once he was done, he started to check her over.

"None of these appear deep enough to need stitches." He murmured, mostly to himself.

Rick gave a small nod as Daryl stayed silent, still observing Grace. Once Hershel finished his small examination, he dipped some of the cloth in cleansing solution and cleaned some of the wounds on her arm.

The room was entirely silent as the man started his work but then Daryl noticed Grace's eyes begin to flutter open and his hold on her hand tightened.

"Daddy?" Grace's whispered as a blurry image of Hershel entered her sight.

The group froze as they stared at the girl that had just awoken. She looked around at each of them, hazy blue eyes taking in the sight of Rick, Daryl and Hershel. But she wasn't really looking at them. Her eyes were so distant; as if she wasn't really there.

"Daddy, what's happening?" She asked in the same tired voice as her eyes began to grow heavy on their own accord.

Hershel glanced at Rick for a second, not really sure how to reply before he swallowed hard.

"It's okay, sweetheart." Hershel said hesitantly. "Go back to sleep."

Grace, whose eyes were already closed, nodded contently and drifted back into a deep slumber. The room let out a collective breath.

"What the hell was that about?" Daryl grunted, still watching over the girl like a hawk.

Hershel continued cleaning the wounds on her arms, "She told me I reminded her of her dad once."

Rick nodded at his response, "It's very common for trauma victims to bring up past memories to deal with their situation. Her mind's trying to protect her from the reality."

Daryl's eyebrows scrunched together as he continued to stare at Grace. Even though he had spilt some blood, his anger still wasn't satisfied.

Hershel finished up the last cut on her arm before addressing to the group, "I can't do a full exam to see if she was raped because I have no experience with that nor am I comfortable doing it. But I need to clean up the rest of her body and I don't think she would want an audience for this."

"I'm not goin' anywhere." Daryl snipped.

But Rick understood that Hershel and Grace would appreciate the privacy, even if the latter wasn't awake to vouch for herself.

"Daryl, she's fine now." Rick reasoned. "We have to let Hershel work on her. Come on."

Daryl looked at Hershel closely for a second, making the man slightly uncomfortable. His eyes were heavy, rage still present, and his hand was still wrapped around Grace's tiny one. But then he looked down at the girl sleeping on the bed. She would be okay now. But he had just gotten her back and he didn't want to leave her side. But he knew Grace and he knew how modest she was. She wouldn't want anyone looking at her undressed while getting her wounds cleaned. So he brushed some hair from her face and stood up.

Rick placed a hand on his shoulder and guided him from the room but once they were in the hallway, he shook it off. Rick frowned but decided to leave the man to his thoughts. He needed to go tell the camp the status of Grace to ease their worries.

While Rick left, Daryl leaned against the wall beside the door and slid down to a sitting position. He would stay here until she woke up. He couldn't leave her again.

It felt like forever before Hershel stepped out of the room, closing the door softly behind him. Daryl instantly sprang to his feet, awaiting the news on her condition. Hershel had a frown present on his face and an uneasy expression that made Daryl's insides stir.

"Where's Rick?" The older man asked just as Rick entered the hallway. He noticed the pair and walked to them.

"How is she?" Daryl asked impatiently, his voice scratchy.

Hershel wrung his hands together, "Like I said, I can't do a full exam but there's some odd scratch marks on her inner thighs that don't look like they came from the same thing that made the other cuts."

Daryl let out a heavy breath as his nostrils flared in anger. He could feel his heart sped up in rage at the thought of those foul men touching his Grace. Rick's frown only grew as the news sunk in.

"We're not going to know what really happened until she wakes up, I guess." Rick let out.

"I know what happened." Daryl grunted, pinching the area between his eyebrows.

Rick looked to him questioningly.

"Overheard the Boss and some fucker talking 'bout it in the tent." Daryl answered. "They were keeping her a virgin to trade her off for weapons and supplies. But some fuck still touched her."

Rick swallowed hard while Hershel looked down at his hands.

"What did you do to them, Daryl?" Rick asked the question that had been on his mind since they got back.

"Does it matter?" Daryl bit out before walking back in the room that housed Grace.

* * *

A few days later, the group had been ready to set off again to look for Sophia, but Lori had hounded them to sit down for lunch before they went reasoning that an empty stomach wouldn't get them far. Carol, although very adamant about finding Sophia, had agreed as well. Daryl was still recovering and if he continued his search without taking care of his health, he would never get better. And Carol couldn't help but worry over the man who had risked his life to bring back her daughter's doll. He was continuing to prove to her that he was a good man. Deep down under his rough exterior, he was just as good as any of the other men here. The rest of the camp just had to see it.

So the entire group sat down around the burnt out campfire that had just been used to cook some of the squirrel Daryl had managed to hunt despite his injury. Lori had also snagged some vegetables from Patricia's garden, with the woman's permission of course, and had cut up some tomatoes and green peppers to go with their meat. It wasn't lavish by any means. But it would make due. It would keep them healthy enough to move forward.

Lori glanced at Grace for a moment. This was her first time outside the room she had been kept in when she was still healing. It had been about two days since the group had found her. The only ones who had been allowed in the room where Lori, Carol, Beth, Maggie and Andrea. Rick had prohibited any men from seeing her because of her recent trauma and the way she first reacted to them. Daryl had taken a semi-permanent spot outside the door, sitting against the wall as he listened to her silent cries. He wanted desperately to go inside, to hold her, to comfort her, to do anything. But he couldn't. And Grace still hadn't told anyone what had actually happened while she was there and nobody pressured her to either.

The girl kept her eyes downcast, her plate sitting on top of her lap as her hair hung loose in her face. She refused to participate in any conversations, her ruby lips sealed shut by invisible binds. Some of her cuts were scarring already while the deeper ones remained wrapped in white gauze. Hershel had done a good job at tidying them up but there wasn't much he could do for the bruises that covered her jaw and other various parts of her body. There was a particularly nasty one the shape of a hand on her upper arm. Lori felt a bit sick looking at the girl; the once loving girl that was a shell of a person now. She wanted to lift her spirits a little and a thought entered her mind.

"Grace." She spoke softly. The group looked towards the girl in question. "Would you like to say grace? Give our thanks again like before?"

Grace stood up suddenly; the plate on her lap crashing to the floor as her lunch spilled onto the grass beneath her. Everyone around the unlit campfire looked up at the girl in shock. She stood silent for a moment, breathing heavily as her long hair hung loosely down her face.

"God isn't watching over us anymore." She snapped. "He doesn't care about our thanks."

Before anyone could reply, she stormed away in anger. Lori watched her with a deep sadness. Whatever those men had done to her had ruined the girl, had broken her spirits. She felt angry as she thought about them and what they did to her. Grace had been the one who had kept hope in the camp, but with her loosing it, Lori wasn't sure how much longer they could all last. Maybe God wasn't watching out for them anymore.

It didn't take Daryl more than a second to react, standing up as well.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Daryl." Rick softly spoke. "Maybe one of the women should go after her."

"Yeah, 'cause they've been helping so much." Daryl bit sarcastically. "Ya' want Grace to stop actin' like she's broken? Then stop treatin' her like some fragile doll that's been torn apart. What that girl needs to realize is that she's just the same girl as before. She can't do that if ya'll keep walkin' on ice 'round her. Don't ya' people know nothing?"

Daryl didn't wait for an answer as he took off after Grace. He knew she didn't want to talk to anyone. But he was tired of sitting around, waiting for her to get better when no one did anything but treated her like she was ruined. She wasn't ruined. She was in pain, she was hurt, she was upset and she might be a little broken but she wasn't ruined. She would get better. Just like he had done all those times his father had beat him, thrown him in the closet and left him there to beg to be let out, left him alone for days to watch over himself when he was only a little boy. He had been in pain, he had been hurt, he had been upset and he had been broken. But he wasn't ruined. He got himself together and that's what he was going to help Grace do. She needed to realize that she shouldn't let those men take anything from her.

They didn't deserve that. They didn't deserve any piece of Grace.

He caught up to her quickly; his long legs easily overpowering her's. He grabbed onto her wrist before he realized that it was a bad move. The moment his hand made contact with her skin, she went wild. She yanked her arm from his grasp and whirled around, eyes on fire. She hardly looked like Grace. The Grace Daryl knew was in there somewhere but she was hiding because she had been hurt. And that's what people do when they get hurt badly, they hide, retract from others. Because they're scared. But looking at her now: her hard gaze, her pale lips pulled back in a snarl, the way her body clenched with fear and frustration, her lifeless hair, her bruised face and cut up arms, it was hard to recognize her as the sweet, preacher's daughter he had known before. But he knew she was in there somewhere. She had to be.

"Don't touch me." She warned.

Daryl held up both his hands in a surrender, "I'm not gonna' touch ya', Grace."

Her body relaxed a bit although she still observed him with vigilant eyes. Seeing her like this reminded Daryl so much of himself. But he didn't want her to turn up like him. He missed Grace. He missed how she would preach about the Bible and her morals to the group, how her soft voice and light eyes brought happiness to the camp, how she could bring out the best in everyone. He missed Grace. He wouldn't admit that to anyone. But looking at her now, he realized just how much the girl had affected him. He was not about to let her become cold like him. She deserved so much better.

"I want to show ya' something." Daryl said when she stayed silent.

Grace studied him for a moment. She wasn't sure if she could trust him. He was so similar to the guys that had held her captive. He spoke like them and dressed like them. And that was enough to make Grace cautious. She could not let herself get hurt again. She would not let herself get hurt again. She was about to shake her head no when something in her heart stopped her.

This was Daryl Dixon. The same man who had protected her from Shane. The man who had kept her warm those nights and let her sleep in his arms. The man who respected her boundaries, who knew exactly what to say to calm her down. The man she had gone looking for before everything happened. He had been hurt, badly. Yet he had still come to find her. What had he ever done to make her not trust him? Looking into his blue eyes, there was no maleficent presence, no ill-intentions that made her cringe when she had been looking at those men. This was Daryl Dixon…the man she was falling in love with before she had been kidnapped.

He wasn't those men and he would never be.

She hesitantly nodded her head to give her approval. Satisfied with her response, he began leading her towards the woods, careful not to touch her. He wanted nothing more than to gain the girl's trust back. And he would have to do it slowly. But she would be okay. She might be fragile but she was not weak. Her will was keeping her alive these days so he knew she had it in her to come back. Deep down, she still believed in her hope and God's love. He knew that because she never denied his existence, just his presence. He would get her back. And he knew exactly where he could take her to show her that everything was not lost.

So he walked through the forest, determination in his hard eyes. And she followed him; staying a few paces behind as her boots crumpled the leaves that decorated the ground. It took them awhile to get there; it had been much faster when he had been on horseback. They stayed silent the entire walk as the chirp of a few birds and the snap of the leaves filled the forest. Daryl glanced back at Grace every once and awhile. He knew that just being in the woods was beginning to calm the girl as her body seemed to relax more and more as they got farther in the trees.

They got to the place Daryl had been aiming for. He stopped walking, causing Grace to pause as well. She looked at him, her blue eyes still heavily guarded but he could see the tinkling of curiosity imprinted within.

"We need to get down this hillside." Daryl spoke. "Think ya' can manage that?"

She peered down the hill and caught sight of the quarry beneath them. She nodded her head slowly and Daryl began making his way down. It was easier this time as he didn't have a large, gushing wound in his side. She followed after him, using the trees planted along the way to keep herself supported. But as they got closer to the lake, the trees became scarce. Daryl's long legs easily allowed the man to jump down the steepest part of the hill and onto the bed of the lake. Grace clung onto the tree knowing she couldn't make the jump.

"Come on." Daryl reached a hand out. "I've gotcha'."

Grace looked at his hand for a moment before looking away. She still didn't trust him and she didn't want to be touched. She ignored his help and tried to get down by herself. But her ankle got caught on the root of the tree she was holding onto and she fell down to her knees, tumbling to the spot next to Daryl. She let out a small grunt as she came to a stop and brushed some dirt off of herself and pulled some leaves from her hair.

It took Daryl all his restraint not to help her up.

"Are ya' okay?" His voice more gentle but he didn't offer his help, knowing she wouldn't take it.

Grace stood up and walked towards the water.

"I'm fine." She said.

Daryl walked to her side, their feet almost brushing the water as it gently swayed with the wind. It was just as beautiful as he remembered it-only he could fully enjoy it more now as he wasn't fighting for his life. The lake was full of life. Fish could be seen swimming, some bugs and flowers floated along the surface of the water. The area was covered in leaves as fall began to make its appearance. Colors of red, green, brown and yellow swirled together to create a peaceful atmosphere. A few birds flew in the sky a distance away and two bunnies were chasing each other on the opposite side of the lake. A squirrel ran up at tree near them and shook the branches causing leaves to rain down on the water.

Nature and hunting had been his escape from the pain. Maybe it could bring some peace to Grace as well.

Grace took in the full beauty of the area before looking at Daryl.

"Why'd you bring me here?" She asked.

The man's sharp eyes looked at her for a moment before peering out into the distance. She followed his gaze when he didn't answer her question.

"My mom died when I was real little." Daryl said slowly. "And after she passed, my pop turned to alcohol to forget about the pain. He would get violent after drinking and hit me and Merle. But then Merle grew up, started fightin' back. He tried to protect me but most of the time he was off in juvie or somethin'. My dad wasn't home that often either. He was always runnin' off with one of them town's sluts. Hell, I was younger than Sophia and Carl and I was already takin' care of myself. Ain't nobody lookin' after me."

Grace stayed silent as she looked up at him. He refused to meet her gaze as he continued to stare at the calm water of the lake.

"This one time, I got lost in the woods. Woods like these ones here. I was lost for nine long days; survived from eatin' wild berries. Nobody even went lookin' for me. When I got back home, went inside and made myself a sandwich, I realized nobody had even realized I was gone." Daryl continued. "I was angry and hurt. I got into some trouble in my life 'cause of it. But when the world went to shit, I realized somethin'. My dad don't deserve nothin' from me. He didn't deserve my anger or my pain. He didn't deserve shit. So I stopped carin'. I stopped carin' because I realized the only person sufferin' was me. That bastard felt nothin' and here I was, wasting away my life 'cause of him. There comes a time when it's just better to let go. Use that as yer revenge."

Silence fell over the group as his story sunk in. Daryl had never shared this information with anyone and he couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable at opening himself up. But standing next to Grace, he felt the words just tumble out of his mouth. She was still staring at him but he was a little afraid to look down at her; scared that he would see sympathy in her eyes. He didn't want pity. He just wanted understanding. He let his eyes search her for a moment and was surprised when he didn't find any pity there. She was just gazing at him… like he was the same man he had been two minutes ago. She looked away after a moment, returning to admire the lake.

"Can ya' try something for me?" Daryl asked.

She stayed silent for a minute after his request before nodding her head.

"Close yer eyes." He whispered.

She hesitated again but her eyelashes fluttered against her cheekbone as she gave in to his command. He moved behind her slightly but she still kept her eyes shut. He let silence envelope them once more for a minute, just letting the girl breathe.

"Now just forget everythin'." His voice was softer than it had ever been. "Forget about anything that's ever happened in yer life. Focus on what ya' feel right now. What ya' hear, what ya' smell. This is the only thing that exists right now."

Grace breathed in deep, smelling the crisp air of the afternoon. The chilly air wrapped around her clothed body, sending little chills down her arm. She could hear the water sloshing in the lake from the wind, could hear the crinkling of leaves as animals played about, a few birds singing in the distance and the buzz of a few flies around her ear. In this moment, she felt peaceful, serene. She let out a deep breath as she let herself relax and give into the feeling.

Daryl placed his hands on her shoulder and she flinched slightly but her eyes still remained closed. His left hand brushed some of her hair off her shoulder so it tumbled down her back in waves. Grace couldn't help but feel comforted by the gesture. His touch reminded her nothing of what she had been through. He was far more gentle, his hands warm against her cold skin. And she could easily escape his hold if she wanted to. But having him here, holding her, she felt more protected and she felt herself relax further.

"Now open yer eyes." He leaned down to whisper into her ear.

She did as she was told and the beauty of the area took her breath away once again. Everything she had just been feeling came to life as she watched leaves float in the water, the grass slightly sway in the wind, the birds flying high in the sky. Standing here, for the first time since she was kidnapped, she felt Him. She felt His presence all around her. He was still here after all. A little harder to find, but He hadn't given up on them yet. God was still watching over this Earth.

Suddenly all the barriers she had managed to make began to crack down. She felt her chest grow heavy at the intrusion of feelings and her body slumped forward a bit. Daryl turned the girl around to face him, keeping his hands on her shoulders. She looked up at him as she fought to keep the barriers intact. But even looking at the man, she could feel them cracking more.

"It's okay to feel angry, Grace. It's okay to be hurt and upset. But don't let them take over ya'. They don't deserve that. They don't deserve ya'." Daryl spoke. "It's okay to cry but let this be the last time you'll ever shed a tear for those bastards."

As soon as those words slipped from his mouth, her resolves completely snapped in half. Tears began to stream from her eyes as a tiny sob escaped her mouth. Daryl let out the breath he was holding in and pulled the small girl to his chest. She welcomed his embrace and cried in his arms as her body shook with all the emotions running through her veins. He stroked her hair softly as she finally let out everything she had been feeling, knowing it was the only way he could possibly comfort her in a time like this.

They stood like that for a long time as Grace relived every single moment of her kidnapping, finally accepting what had happened to her. She let herself realize how they had touched her, made her beg for her life, cut her, raped her, tried to break her. The Devil had her in his grasp and he was relentless. But then she let herself realize how far she had come. She had survived. She had made it through the hardest moment of her life and God was here right now with her, welcoming her triumph. So she cried, partly from the pain of everything and partly from relief. She was alive. She was alive and Daryl was here. And right now, that was all that mattered.

But there was still one thought that plagued her mind so she pulled out of his grasp just enough to look at him. As he stared back at her, he brushed some of the tears away from her soft skin.

"Daryl." Her voice barely a whisper. "Am I ruined now?"

The older man stared down at her hard for a moment before stroking her hair softly.

"No, Grace." He said firmly. "Yer perfect."

Daryl was still accepting her, even though she had been touched by filth…and maybe God would still accept her too. She melted back into his embrace as he continued to stroke her long, blonde hair. They stayed there for a while longer, just relinquishing in the beauty of their environment and serenity of the lake. But they knew that had to return to the group.

Grace pulled out of his arms and wiped the remains of her tears from her face.

"Are ya' ready to go back?" Daryl asked, his hands still resting on her shoulders.

She bit her lip in hesitation for a moment before nodding, "I'm ready."

Daryl bent down and placed a soft, gentle kiss on her forehead before taking her small hand in his and pulling her towards the hill. She followed after him readily but then a thought struck him and he stopped. Grace looked up at him with confused blue eyes. He reached down in his pocket and pulled out the tiny piece of jewelry that Rick had found.

"Do ya' want this back now?" He asked the girl, holding it out for her to see.

She looked at him closely before looking at what he was offering her. The breath got caught in the back of her throat when she noticed her cross necklace. Slowly, she nodded her head and he helped her place it back on. She brought up a hand to lightly stroked the smooth gold. Daryl was already climbing back up the hill as she still stood there, admiring the necklace.

"Ya' coming?" He called out, waking her from her trace.

She looked up to him and he held out his hand to help her up.

This time, she took his hand.

* * *

**Author's Note: OKAY DON'T KILL ME AGAIN! lololol sooo just to clarify, Grace is definitely still not okay even after her little talk with Daryl. She's definitely going to still be healing in the next few chapters but at least she has Daryl to keep sane. I know it seems a little weird that I didn't include any scenes with interactions with Grace in the days before the last scene, but I will include them as flashbacks in upcoming chapters. I just needed to put some lovey dovey stuff in this chapter because it was so violent and depressing haha. And I promise you guys that I would somehow make up for the torture in the last one. So I hoped you enjoyed! Now for an important message below:**

***CHALLENGE: Yes, I have a challenge for you guys. I love all the reviews I've been getting but because I'm so evil I am going to demand something of my readers. If you guys can get this story to 185 reviews in the next I'll give you a little more than a day...so like 40 hours or so, I will include a flashback at the end of next chapter of what happened to Sam and the rest of the camp and Grace's perspective on the escape. I might make it a separate one-shot if it gets too long. So that's my challenge. I'll probably end up including it even if we don't reach that many reviews because I love you all so much, but I HAVE FAITH IN YOU GUYS THAT YOU WILL MAKE MY DREAMS COME TRUE! **

**Love you guys! (:**


	13. State of Grace

***Hey guys! Sorry this chapter took so long! I've been incredibly busy this week and I will be for the next two weeks but hopefully I can get another chapter out soon! I will be updating by other Walking Dead story, Wicked Games. If you haven't checked that out, definitely go take a look! It will be completely different from this story! Anyways, sorry for the long wait again! This chapter is more of a filler than anything with some extra gooeyness in store for you guys! I hope you enjoy (:**

**EmpireAndAll: **Your reviews always make me giggle!fghfdhdfhd Thanks for the support and yessss Daryl was really super pissed. He like transformed into the hulk and broke their ankles with his man power haha. And fire will be coming... ;)

**Fuchsia Grasshopper: **OHHHH so that's why it kept disappearing on me! Haha how weird. AND YES that was a super long chapter but I felt all you lovely people deserved it and I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the review and reading! Hope you enjoy this sucker too (:

**Leyshla Gisel: **I'm sorry I made you cry! And yes, thank Jesus for therapist Daryl, right? Haha Hope you enjoy chappy 13! (:

**Runcheesers:** New reader?! I love new readers! I'm glad you're enjoying the story! Hope this one's just as enjoyable (:

**StoryReader1996: **I'm glad you review for me :') And I hope your cried good, happy tears! Not sad ones! Thanks for the review! (:

**sarabear91: **Ah, thanks so much! That was wonderful to hear! Hope you enjoy this chapter (:

**Taylor Allie: **You think I'm awesome?! Well I think you're awesome! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! Thanks so much (:

**Mena in the Garden: **THAT EPISODE WAS SO FRUSTRATING! I wanted Daryl so bad! hahah (:

**Peperina: **I know you won't see this for awhile but man it felt nice to hear from you again! Welcome back! Hope you enjoy the continuation from where you last left off!(:

**Harnsome1: **hahahahahahahahahahahah OMG! I can't believe I did that! And didn't catch it! I will definitely be editing that chapter! (:

**Also huge thanks to shippolove844, orcafan1, isopt, SoFarFromPerfect90, Katara Melody Cullen, TiffanyDillion(sorry for making you cry, girly!), Mio-Miu, Emberka-2012 (I think they still would've went and looked for Grace haha), anniebananaie14 (sorry for the tears but glad you loved it!), DeviantDames (teacher Daryl ;) might have a place in this world soon!), Psychovampgurl (Daryl had the best one liners), Lucy Freebird, DestielJunkie, CheetosMouth84, Filmstar xXx, roxas' billa kaulitz, Bubs1 (don't worry, I'm waiting for badass Grace to make her appearance. It will happen!), SpuffyFanSinceYesterday, DancingFairy18, and any Guests who reviewed! Thank you all so much! Love yaaa!**

* * *

**Safe and Sound**

* * *

**Chapter 13: State of Grace**

* * *

The next few days after their talk by the quarry, Grace stuck to Daryl's side like a fly on a stick of butter. She refused to talk to anyone else despite their efforts. She had taken up residence in the RV. Andrea had moved into the tent Carol and Sophia use to share and Dale took all the night shifts to allow the girl privacy. But she would only enter the vehicle when she wanted to sleep and by time Shane came to relieve Dale of his shift in the early morning, she would be gone already, either with Daryl or walking alone by herself.

Her strange behavior concerned most people. She had been traumatized and hurt-that much was obvious. But she wasn't letting anyone in except Daryl so there was little they could do. Lori tried to comfort her, being extra gentle with the young girl, but she hardly responded to her only muttering a few words before walking off.

She never went into the woods or the forest. Most of the time, she hung around the chicken coup or the horse stables. Other times she would help Patricia tend her garden because the woman left her alone and didn't feel the need to mutter things full of pity her way. She was only now beginning to heal though her emotional wounds were still fresh.

She stayed away from the men, even Hershel and her best-friend Glenn. The only person she was comfortable around was Daryl. And the older man let her stick by his side. She didn't talk all that much and mostly just watched him as he worked. But he would often leave to go look for Sophia, leaving the girl alone to her thoughts which only gave her more time to mule over what had happened.

But for now, she was able to distract herself as she watched Daryl clean some of his arrows.

"You know," Grace began. "You never told me how you got hurt."

"What does it matter, girl?" Daryl grunted as he focused on his arrows.

Grace shrugged her shoulders, "It's why I went looking for you. I knew you were hurt. Just had some feeling. Maybe it was God tryin' to tell me."

Daryl looked up at her for a moment, "I told ya' to stay at the camp. Don't matter if I'm hurt or not, ya' stay here. And it ain't God tellin' ya' things. Its yer lil' paranoid mind. I told ya' not to worry 'bout me. I'm a Dixon. Nothin' kills a Dixon but a Dixon."

Grace went silent for a moment before asking a question that had been on her mind since the CDC.

"Do you think Merle's still alive?" She asked quietly.

Daryl's hand paused over the arrow as her question registered in his mind. He swallowed heavily before resuming his task.

"Yes." He answered.

Grace looked up towards the sky and watched a few clouds pass overhead.

"I think he is too." She replied, pulling her legs to her chest and wrapping her arms around herself.

Daryl let out a long breath before looking at her, "Dontcha' have somethin' yer suppose to be doing righ' now? Why dontcha' go help them girls cook or clean or somethin'?"

Grace frowned and rested her head on her knees.

"I don't like being around them." She answered honestly. "They keep badgering me about what happened. I don't want to talk about it."

"Ya' don't have to tell 'em shit." Daryl said. "But if ya' do they'll shut the hell up."

"I know." Grace sighed. "I just hate the way they all look at me. I just want everything to go back to normal."

Daryl could understand on some level. Although no one had ever really given a shit about him, tried to help him or even asked him what had happened, he remembered some of the looks he would get. Disgust, as if it was his fault his dad was a raging alcoholic, was a popular one. But the pity looks were the ones he hated the most. He didn't need anyone's pity. Hell, he didn't even want anyone's pity. And it wasn't like they actually felt sorry for him. If they did they would've done something about it, called child services if anything. But no one did shit.

Grace closed her eyes for a moment as the light breeze played with her wheat-colored hair. She was eager to change the subject.

"So are you going to tell me what happened to you now?" She asked.

Daryl went back to cleaning his arrows, "Fell off a horse, got nailed by my own arrow, had to fight some damn Walkers, made it back to camp and got shot in the head."

"What?!" Grace suddenly exclaimed, her head rising off her knees, "Shot?! By who?"

"Shane." Daryl joked, wanting to see Grace's reaction. "Bastard saw me coming through the field all bloody and bruised, thought I was bit."

"Shane did this!" Grace yelled, standing up and walking over to Daryl. Her fingers light grazed the scar that was forming on side of his head. "He just shot you! Without even actually seeing if you were bit?!"

"Ya' know how he is." Daryl continued to gag, laughing internally at her reaction.

"Yeah I know how he is! But this is too far!" She started to storm away towards the RV where she last saw Shane, ready to give him a piece of her mind.

"Where ya' goin'?" Daryl called out, turning to face the girl.

She paused to face him again, "Where do you think? To yell at Shane! He can't get away with this!"

Daryl let out a little laugh as he watched her. Her cheeks were red with anger, her eyes on fire and her little muscles clenched. Her tiny nose was scrunched up as her lips were pouted as small heavy breaths came out of her nose.

"Why are you laughing?" She shouted. "This isn't funny, Daryl! He shot you! When you were hurt! You could have died!"

"Didn't I tell ya'? Ain't nothin' gonna' kill a Dixon but a Dixon." Daryl said, still laughing.

"I don't think a bullet cares if you're a Dixon, Daryl!" She bit. "I can't believe Rick let Shane off with this! Well I'm not going to!"

She began to storm away as Daryl's laughter grew before he called out to her again.

"Grace, calm down." He said, walking towards the angry girl. "I was just kiddin'. Shane didn't shoot me."

"What?" Grace seethed.

Daryl caught up with her and ran his hands up and down her biceps to calm her down.

"I was just playin' around, babe." He said, eyes still full of amusement.

Grace crossed her arms as she looked up at him.

"That was mean, Daryl." She said, but looking at him and hearing his laughter…she couldn't help but smile as well. "So you didn't get shot? What happened to your head then?"

"No, I did get shot. Jus' not by that bastard." Daryl said. "It was by blonde over there. Ya' gave her the gun power back. So I guess it was really you who shot me. Good thing she ain't a good shooter else I'd be dead."

"Andrea shot you?" Grace exclaimed.

"Didn't ya' hear me, girl?" Daryl said. "Ya' did give her the guns back. So ya' did this to me, Grace."

"Daryl!" Grace snapped, hitting his arm lightly. "This isn't funny! Stop joking around."

Daryl pulled her into a hug, still amused, "Ya' really need to calm down. I'm fine. She's shit at shooting; barely clipped me. Gonna' take more than that to knock me out fer good."

Grace let out a breath and returned the hug, wrapping her arms around his toned middle section.

"You can't let yourself get shot, Daryl." She commanded.

Daryl pulled back to look down at her.

"Ain't like I was trying to get a bullet in my head, Baby girl." He smirked.

Grace looked up at him, placing a hand on his cheek.

"Still, you need to be more careful." She said softly. "I don't want to lose you, Daryl. I don't know what I would do."

Daryl felt a little uncomfortable at the emotional statement but bit back his feelings as he looked at the younger girl. She was clearly distressed and he felt a little bad for joking around about it.

"Calm yer panties, girl." He replied. "I ain't going nowhere."

Grace let go of his face and melted back into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her again, feeling content to have her in his arms, safe and sound.

"You better not." She muttered into his chest, causing a small smile to form on Daryl's face.

He wasn't use to smiling, feeling happy and content, but having the preacher's daughter folded in his arms and listening to her worry about him, he couldn't control it.

* * *

"_How's she doing?" Daryl asked as Lori stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her softly._

_The older woman grimaced for a second before looking up at him._

"_Do you want the truth or some sugar?" She asked._

"_The truth." Daryl grunted._

_Lori sighed and wrung her hands together, "Not so well. She refuses to eat and she won't even look at anyone. She just sits there and stares out the window. It's like she's not even here anymore. I don't know what those men did to her but she's either in shock or really closing herself off."_

_Daryl felt incredibly frustrated. He just wanted to barge into the room, grab the small girl and shake her until she woke up to reality. But he knew it would only hurt her more and cause her to retract even further. But it didn't stop him from wishing. He had gotten her back but he still felt so powerless. They wouldn't let him in the room and he tried all he could to keep himself occupied, but he could only search for Sophia so long before it got dark and he had to return._

"_She hasn't spoken at all?" Daryl asked, his throat dry._

_Lori shook her head, "Not a word."_

_Daryl frowned and ran a hand down his face._

"_Give her some time, Daryl." Lori said. "She'll come around soon, hopefully."_

_Daryl couldn't do anything but nod. Lori's lips pulled down as she stared at the man but decided it would be best just to leave him to his own thoughts. Daryl hardly talked to anyone and when he did, it was strictly business. But seeing him here, it was clear that he was distraught and worried._

_When Lori left, Daryl pressed his back against the wall and slid down to resume his position. It was nighttime and he knew Grace would probably be sleeping. He considered going into the room once he was sure she was asleep but decided against it. Rick had told him that she needed space and definitely shouldn't be bothered by the men. Daryl knew he was right but he wanted to see her desperately. But he stayed glue to his spot next to the door. _

_He sat out there for a long time. Hershel had passed him on his way to his room and gave him a look that clearly showed he wanted the man out of his house but Daryl refused to move from his spot. His youngest daughter had glanced down at him with her own sad eyes as she knew her friend was in the room, fighting to keep sane after what had happened to her. Maggie had set a plate of food down next to the man, saying something about Carol asking her to bring it to him. He barely registered her words and now the plate lay untouched on his side. _

_He sat there for awhile longer when suddenly screams jolted him, causing him to grab his crossbow by his side. He knew the screams were coming from Grace's room. She was having a nightmare it seemed. He was about to go inside when Maggie ran to the room, yanking on the door knob._

"_Stay out here." She said to Daryl before entering the room and closing it behind her. _

_Daryl let out a breath of frustration as he listened to Grace's cries. He heard Maggie trying to wake her but she was unsuccessful for awhile, leaving them to listen to the heart-wrenching screams. Now Daryl was even more desperate to get inside but he knew he shouldn't. It would only make things worse. So he stayed sitting beside the door, listening to her cries feeling so incredibly useless._

_This was hell alright._

_Pure Hell._

* * *

Grace gnawed on her lip as she watched Lori and Carol hang up some clothes to dry. She knew she should apologize for her behavior last week-the way she reacted to Lori's request at lunch. She knew how much the women were relying on their faith right now and they were relying on her as well to help keep the camp's spirit. But she had ruined that in those five seconds of anger. And now it was eating away at her. She had prayed to God for forgiveness and now she had to ask the woman for theirs. With that thought in her mind, she hesitantly walked up to the females hanging up the clothes.

Lori's eyes widened a bit as she saw the girl walking to them. She never initiated conversation or seeks people out these days.

"Hey Lori, Carol." Grace said. "Can I help ya'll out?"

The two women exchanged a small look before Lori nodded, "Of course."

Grace gave a nod of her own before picking up a shirt and hanging it. The group went back to silence with the younger girl's presence. Lori snuck glances at her every now and then but Grace refused to look their way. After about ten minutes or so the girl let out a heavy breath causing the women to look her way. Her tiny fists clung onto the pair of pants in her hand as she turned to face them.

"I just wanted to…uh, apologize for what I said at lunch the other day." Grace said. "It wasn't fair for me to attack ya'll like that."

Lori observed the girl for a second-her azure eyes watering slightly as she stared at the ground beneath them. Not able to control her motherly instincts, she tossed her arms around the younger girl, pulling her into a warm embrace. Grace tensed up for a second before relaxing at the contact. But she didn't return the hug.

"Oh, sweetie, it's okay." Lori soothed. "No one blames you for your behavior. We know how hard all of this must be for you."

Her words made Grace pull out of her embrace but she felt some of her guarded walls collapse as she soaked in the woman's words. These were the same people who had taken care for her for so long. Grace had been nothing to them, just some girl Daryl had found in the woods. But they had taken her in and let her become part of this dysfunctional family and Grace couldn't help but feel that they deserved to hear the truth…to have answers to all their questions.

"I think I'm ready to answer your questions." She whispered. "If you still want to know."

This time it was Carol who offered some physical reassurance, rubbing her back softly.

"Tell us what you want, Grace." Lori said. "We're only here to listen."

Grace wrung her hands in front of her body before letting the story flow from her lips.

"I thought he was Daryl." She began. "I heard footsteps and I thought it was Daryl. But it wasn't. It was some…man. He backed me against the tree, held a knife to me but then Sam interrupted. Told him that they should take me back to their boss because I looked like a virgin and I could be traded for some weapons and supplies."

Lori covered her mouth as to not let the little gasp of horror be heard. Carol rubbed circles on her back some more feeling her heart run cold. If these men had come across Grace in those woods, maybe they had come across Sophia. What if her daughter had been traded off?

"But that didn't stop the first man from…from touching me." Grace continued. "He didn't rape me technically because Sam told him to keep me a virgin for the boss. But he might as well have. It felt like he did. I felt so disgusting, so violated and so ruined. I thought God would never accept me now. I was in the Devil's hands. They took me back to the campsite, threw me in the shed and let the boss try to beat answers from me about our group. But I refused to tell him anything. If Rick and everybody hadn't gotten there when they did, I would've been traded off by now."

A tiny tear slipped from Grace's eye as Lori pulled her in another hug and Carol continued to rub circles on her back.

"You poor girl." Lori said, her voice heavy. "Let's be thankful that Rick found you when he did. They looked for you every day you were missing. When Daryl found out…well I've never seen him so angry before."

Lori pulled away from her as she wiped some tears away.

"What's going on between you two anyways?" She asked. "And don't say nothing because you're always with him. And I see the way he looks at you."

Grace shrugged her shoulders. She could hardly explain what she felt to herself.

"Daryl's just…Daryl." She answered. "He understands."

"But he's at least ten years older than you." Lori finally voiced. "You don't find that strange or anything?"

Grace stayed silent for a moment, trying to gauge how she felt about that. But the answer was obvious…to her at least.

"I don't think any of that really matters anymore." She said softly. "I mean, time and age. I don't even know what month we're in or how long we've been surviving for. I don't know what time of the day it is or even what day of the week it is. Pretty soon we won't even know how old we are anymore if things don't get better. Life expectancy is different now. We could die tomorrow for all we know. So I guess no; I don't find it strange or anything."

Lori frowned a bit but nodded, understanding her perspective.

"But how do you feel about him?" Lori asked. "He isn't forcing you to do anything is he?"

"Daryl would never force me." Grace said with the upmost belief and trust in the man. "And honestly…I think I love him."

Grace had always been one to fall in love easily. She wore her heart on her sleeve, accepted people easily and her sheltered life has caused her to place her trust in many people who never deserved it. Although she didn't have that many boyfriends in her past, three serious ones if you didn't count the seventh grade relationships that mainly consisted of holding hands during break, she definitely believed she had fallen in love with each of them.

But what she felt with Daryl was so intense. It was like all she had ever felt with Bobby only multiplied by ten. She didn't know how he could make her feel such things so easily; but in the small time that she had known him…he had managed to win over her heart. With his strong personality, powerful attitude, protective behavior, soft and meaningful words that contrasted his exterior, the feeling of his arms around her, his heavy kisses and rough touch; he sent her mind in a fervent daze.

So Grace could believe what she was feeling right now was love. Yes, love for a man who was by society's standards, too old for her. But she didn't care anymore.

Somehow loving Daryl just felt…completely right.

* * *

Grace was walking along the edge of the woods, content with being alone and away from the campsite. She knew better now not to go into the trees alone so she kept the RV in her line of sight. But it was quiet and peaceful. Her story telling had left her emotionally exhausted and she didn't want to deal with anything right now. All she could hear was the singing of a few birds, the buzzing of flies, the leaves rustling in the cold, bitter wind and the sound of her own footsteps. It was nice to be alone for once.

She continued walking; peering out into the forest every once and a while to make sure she was truly alone. The thoughts of her kidnapping still plagued her mind and she had been overly cautious and paranoid since.

The cuts on her body were almost healed. Most of them hadn't been too deep, so they didn't leave scars. But there was one that ran down her thigh that left a dark red scar and another on her upper arm that twisted around her bicep. The bruises on her jaw had faded to a discolored, light green that just made her appear sick. Her scalp wasn't sore anymore from having her hair pulled and the scratch marks on her thigh had completely disappeared. All of her wounds were beginning to fade into nonexistence, but the memories had scarred her far too deep internally to ever vanish.

Suddenly, the sound of voices made her freeze in her spot. She guardedly walked around the bend to see Rick and Shane arguing.

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed something going on between the two of them!" Shane exclaimed while Rick ran a hand over his face in frustration.

"I have." The other man replied. "But it's none of our business."

"The hell it isn't!" Shane shouted. "That girl is still a child. She should not be hanging around Dixon."

"She's eighteen, Shane." Rick said.

"Don't matter her age." Shane argued. "Girl was sheltered all her life. Dixon probably said all sorts of things to her to cause her to stick around him like that. I know his type."

"Daryl's getting better now that his brothers not around. He's a good man, Shane." Rick said. "What they do is between them. This is a new world now. Love is going to appear differently."

"Love?! You think that redneck loves her?" Shane laughed sarcastically. "He's a man, Rick. You know what he wants. And you know how easy it is to manipulate that little girl. He's got her following him around like she's a dog."

"Maybe Grace sees something in him that we don't." Rick retaliated. "And like I said, it is none of our business. He cares about her. I know you can see that."

"It is our business. This is our campsite, our group. Anything that goes on here is our business." Shane grunted. "And he doesn't care for her. She's just his bitch now."

Grace felt her fists clench up at his words as her eyes narrowed. Rick suddenly noticed her presence, looking at her from over Shane's shoulder. Shane noticed his shift of attention and turned around as well, spotted the blonde girl. His gaze remained hard as he stared at her, his muscles flexing as his body tensed.

"Grace, I-"Rick began to soothe but Shane cut him off.

"What do you want girl?" He snipped. "If you're looking for your little boyfriend, he's down by the horse stables."

"Shane, stop it." Rick demanded.

"No, Rick." Shane said. "This has gone on far too long without anyone saying anything. So what did that hillbilly say to make you crawl into bed with him, girl?"

Rick glared at his friend as Grace crossed her arms.

"That was out of line, Shane." He snapped, "You-"

"A fool takes no pleasure in understanding but only in expressing his opinion." Grace recited Proverb 18.2 evenly. Rick glanced at her for a moment as Shane's anger increased at the disguised insult.

Before either of them could reply, she walked off, eager to get away from the man. She didn't care what they thought about her and Daryl, but it angered her to hear the way Shane talked about him…how they all talked about him.

Daryl Dixon was rough around the edges. He didn't let people in and he had a quick tongue. But Grace knew it was because of the abuse he had faced as a child. He was scared of being hurt. She could understand that. But he was a good man. He was considerate. He might not sprout out speeches about love and morality like Dale, try to play the protector like Shane, or try to keep the peace in the camp like Rick. He was much quieter about his contribution. He used his actions, not his words. He looked for Sophia, hunted for the group, listened to Rick, tried to keep Carol's hopes alive, and he…he was always there for Grace. He might be rough, angry and rude if you listened to his words. But only fools believe everything they hear. If they really tried to understand Daryl, they would know what Grace saw: a man who used his bitter attitude to drive people away because he didn't get everything in life that he deserved.

Grace knew Daryl deserved to be loved, deserved to be cared for, deserved to be admired. He did more for the group than anyone here besides Rick. But they all just saw him as a Dixon. That's all anybody had ever seen him.

With the man in her thoughts and her mind still on fire with anger over Shane's words, she walked to the horse stables with conviction. Daryl's presence always calmed her down.

As soon as she entered the stables, the man who was cleaning a horse saddle looked up at her with his sharp gaze. When he recognized her, he went back to what he was doing. She walked to his side and leaned against the wooden door of one of the stables that was empty. Her body was still tense, her lips pursed and eyes heated. Her breathing was heavier than normal; Daryl noticed with his trained ears. He glanced up at her again, noticing her angry expression.

"What's got ya' all fired up?" He asked.

Grace looked away as her shoulders relaxed a little bit. "Nothing."

"Don't try 'n pull that shit with me, girl." Daryl grunted. "What happened now?"

Grace met his gaze and the answer slipped right out of her ruby lips, "Shane."

Daryl stopped what he was doing as his body clenched up. He turned to face her.

"What did that fucker do?" He hissed.

"He said some things." Grace answered.

Daryl moved closer, "What kinda' things?"

"He said that I was your…your-" She looked down as her eyebrows pulled together. She had never uttered a curse word in her life.

"Spit it out girl." Daryl snapped.

"Bitch." She muttered, the word sounding incredibly foreign and awkward coming for her lips. "He said I was your bitch."

Suddenly, Daryl was on top of her, pressing her into the hard wood as his figure loomed over her, his right hand pressed against the spot next to her head. Her blue eyes widened at the closeness and her breath got caught in the back of her throat. Her body tensed up as memories of her kidnapping flared in her mind. But Daryl kept the left side of his body completely open, allowing her an escape route so she didn't feel trapped.

"And what did ya' say to him?" He griped, leaning his head down a bit and bringing her into a heavy gaze.

Her cheeks warmed up at his intense stare and her body felt so hot in that moment.

"I didn't-" She began.

"Ya' told him he was damn right, yeah?" Daryl grunted. "Ya' are my bitch."

"But I don't want to be your bitch." Grace whispered as his face drew closer. The curse word still sounded incredibly awkward and rough coming from her soft lips.

Daryl reeled back at her words, feeling a little hurt though he wouldn't admit it; not even to himself. He had known Grace was too good for him. Any lady like Grace was just that, a lady. And ain't no lady ever given him a second look in his life. All he had ever gotten was whores and white-trash who were just as unwanted as him. Grace noticed his sudden change in behavior and recognized what her words might have caused.

"I don't want to be your bitch." She said. "I want to be your girl, Daryl."

Daryl's eyes met her's again as his stomach lurched at her words. No woman had ever muttered those words to him. They had always been his playthings, his whores, his bitches. But he had never come across a female who could win the title of his girl; or a girl who had wanted that title. But here she was, this beautiful angel looking up at him with her bright, cerulean eyes telling him that she wanted to be his, all of his. And he realized, she was right. She wasn't his bitch. Grace was too beautiful and delicate to ever be called as such. But she could he his girl. There was nothing more in the world that he wanted than to call her his. To hold her in his arms and know he was the only one allowed to touch her, allowed to claim her lips, allowed to stroke the soft skin of her exquisite body.

His silence made Grace feel a little insecure and she looked at him through her eyelashes, cheeks as red as ever.

"Do you not want me?" She murmured as her heart froze, awaiting his answer.

"Of course I want ya', dumb girl." Daryl growled but his tone softened as his own insecurities broke through. "But are ya' sure? I'm much older than ya'. People are gonna' be talkin'."

Grace looked up at him as he leaned his forehead against her's, "I don't care. I don't care how old you are. And I don't care what they say. I want you, Daryl. I want to be with you. I want to be yours."

Not able to control himself much longer, he pressed his lips down, covering her velvety cherry lips with his rough ones, a perfect contrast.

He felt her body tense up underneath him and pulled away for a second, remembering she was still recuperating from her trauma. He brushed some hair from her face and ran a hand down her smooth cheek.

"Relax." He whispered. "It's okay, baby girl. Ain't nobody gonna' touch ya' now except me. Got it? Yer my girl now."

Daryl leaned back down but didn't close the distance. He knew this had to be her choice.

Grace felt herself relax at his words. Daryl wouldn't hurt her. And she wanted this. She wanted Daryl. With that thought in her mind, she pressed her back off the door and leaned up to him; standing with her weight balanced in her toes and pushed her lips against his. He responded instantly with a fierce passion as he now could fully take hold of her. He grabbed her hips and pulled her up so she didn't have to reach up to him and she wrapped her legs around his waist, causing their bodies to press together firmly. He pushed her back against the door again as he deepened the kiss, biting on her bottom lip.

She threw her head back at the feeling, causing her lip to pull in his teeth. With the new access to her neck, he pressed kisses along her jaw until he reached her neck. With her weight supported on the door and in her legs, he moved one hand into her hair, grasping a chunk of the curly mess in a firm grip. He was going to claim her again, mark her as his. And this time, it would actually mean something. He took her flesh in his teeth, nipping on it eliciting a hiss from her sweet lips. He quickly soothed the area with his tongue, moistening her skin before sucking on it, causing the area to turn even redder.

But Grace wanted to feel his lips again, savior the taste of him. So she snaked her hand under his chin and forced his face back up to hers, forcing her soft lips on his. He was surprised for a moment. She had never been so direct. He smirked against her kiss and pulled back after a moment.

"Someone's a lil' demanding today." He murmured as her hot breath coated his lips.

She looked into his eyes with heated passion.

"Kiss me, Daryl." She said, shyly.

He could feel his insides stir as her words, but he wanted to make her beg for it. So he pressed his lips against her forehead before sliding down to her small nose. The hand that was wrapped in her hair slid out to cup her cheek as he laid another kiss on her other cheek. Then he moved his mouth to her small ear, sucking on the lobe as she let out another hiss. All she wanted was to feel his lips against her's, but he was taunting her and it was driving her crazy.

"Daryl, please." She pleaded, unable to control her want.

Daryl couldn't deny the preacher's daughter anymore. He forced his lips against hers. A frenzy of butterflies erupted in Grace's stomach causing her to squirm at the pleasant feeling. Her lips moved against his as she poured every single feeling inside her into the kiss. Daryl kept one hand on her hip while the other one began to slide up her shirt. She let him stroke the soft skin of his stomach as he ran his tongue across her lip. She opened her mouth and their tongues danced together. She had forgotten how nice it felt to kiss Daryl…how good he could make her feel.

She pulled away from him briefly to kiss the side of his jaw, copying the movements he would often do on her. She kissed her way to the spot under his ear, sucking on the skin there like he would do to her. The man let out a tiny hiss at her soft touches as his fingers gripped her sides tighter.

His hand in her shirt began venturing higher, almost sliding over her breast. She suddenly spotted her advances and tensed, causing Daryl to pause as well.

"Daryl." She said, biting her lip. "I can't-I just…I can't."

Daryl felt a tiny bit frustrated but he knew not to push her. He nodded his head slowly and let one of her legs fall out of his grasp. It slid down his thigh until her foot rested on the floor. Grace let out a little breath, placing her head in the crook of his neck. She felt frustrated as well. There was nothing more that she wanted than to feel his touch, but she couldn't shake the memories of Johnny's touches from her mind.

Daryl let her cling to him, one leg still wrapped around his hip as his chin rested against the top of her head. He rubbed circles on her back with that hand that had previously been under her shirt. He could feel every breath she took, her body rocking slightly against his and her breath flicking the sensitive skin of his neck. He let out his own heavy breath as he held the girl close to him.

She might not be ready to go past kissing but that was okay.

All that mattered was she was finally his completely.

* * *

"_Why dontcha' pull that arrow out, dummy." Merle's voice floating in Daryl's head as he weaved in and out of consciousness. "Ya' could bind yer wound better."_

_Daryl's eyes opened slightly as he fought to keep himself awake. He could see his brother squatting next to him. His light hair greasy, his skin rough and tanned and his lips pulled in a light smirk. This was Merle. His brother. The man who had been left behind. Had he really been in these woods all this time?_

"_Merle?" Daryl let out, his voice raspy and dry._

_Merle chuckled, "What's goin' on here? Takin' a siesta or somethin'?"_

"_Shitty day, bro." Daryl groaned, struggling to keep his eyes open._

"_Like me to get ya' a pillow?" Merle mocked. "Maybe rub yer feet?"_

"_Screw you." Daryl muttered as he closed his eyes for a moment, feeling dizzy._

"_Nah." Merle smirked. "Yer the one screwed from the look of it. All them years I spent…tryin' a make a man outta' ya'. This is what I get? Look at you, lyin' in the dirt like a used rubber. Yer gonna' die out here lil' brother. And for what?"_

"_Girl." Daryl replied. "We lost the girl. Sophia."_

"_Ya' got a thing for lil' girl's now?" Merle laughed._

"_Shut up." Daryl growled. "I promised her I'd find her."_

"_Promised who?" Merle asked. "That ole' lady who gets knocked 'round by her husband?"_

"_Nah." Daryl said. "Grace. I promised Grace."_

"_So ya' got a thing for preachers' daughters?" Merle grinned like the Cheshire Cat. "Do yer brother proud and get that bitch in bed."_

"_Shut up." Daryl hissed again. "Don't call her that."_

"_What? Don't tell me ya' got soft on me now." Merle chided. "I leave and ya' lose yer set of balls?"_

"_Why'd ya' leave me, Merle?" Daryl called out as he closed his eyes again._

"_Well it ain't like ya' out lookin' for ole' Merle no more." His brother replied._

"_We tried like hell to find ya', bro." Daryl said, opening his eyes again._

"_Like hell ya' did. Ya' split, bro. Let out first chance ya' got." Merle said, eyebrows pulling together._

"_Nah, ya' let out." Daryl fought back. "All ya' had to do was wait. We went back for ya'. Rick, T-Dog, Glenn and I. We did right by ya'."_

"_This the same Rick who cuffed me to that roof in the first place?" Merle snapped. "Force me to cut off my own damn hand? That who yer talkin' 'bout?"_

_A vision of Merle's hand swirled into Daryl's view and he frowned, confused. He shut his blue eyes as he felt dizzy again._

"_Ya' his bitch now?" Merle bit._

"_I ain't nobody's bitch." Daryl grunted._

"_Or maybe yer Grace's bitch now. Lookin' for some girl because of some stupid promise ya' made."_

"_I ain't nobody's bitch." Daryl replied, opening his eyes again._

"_Playin' errand boy for a buncha pansy-asses, niggers, democrats, and preacher girls. Yer nothin' but a freak to them, redneck trash. That's all ya' are. Yeah, they're laughin' at ya' behind yer back. Ya' know that dontcha'? Ya' think that lil' girl actually likes ya'? She ain't got no feelings for men like ya'. Twice her age and white-trash. I got a lil' news for ya', bro. One of these days they're gonna' scrape ya' off of their heels like ya' was dog shit."_

_Daryl felt his heart surged with anger at his brother's words and he tried to sit up. Merle pushed on his chest, causing Daryl to stare up at him._

"_Hey, they ain't yer kin." He said. "Now if you got any nuts down in that sack of yers, go back and shoot yer pal Rick in the face for me. Now ya' listen to me. Ain't nobody ever gonna' care 'bout ya' except me, lil' brother. Ain't nobody ever will."_

"_Grace cares." Daryl let out. "She cares 'bout me more than ya' ever did."_

_Merle sighed and patted his face, standing up, "Come on. Get up on yer feet. Before I have to kick ya' teeth in."_

_Merle started kicking his foot, making him moan as he tried to sit up. But the pain in his side was unbearable. He let his eyes roll into the back of his head as he took a deep breath. Merle was persistent though, yanking on his foot. He tried to jerk it from his grasp but he grabbed onto it again. Frustrated, Daryl leaned up as his vision cleared._

_It wasn't Merle yanking his foot._

_It was a Walker trying to get a bite of it._

* * *

It was nighttime and the group was seated around a campfire, keeping them warm. Andrea, Dale and T-dog sat on one log while Rick and his family sat opposite of them. Glenn and Maggie sat on the floor close to each other next to one of the logs, while Shane sat on Rick's side, staring bitterly into the fire. Carol was seated on the floor on Daryl's right side while Grace hugged his left side. It had taken her some time to convince him to come sit at the campfire but eventually, he had given in.

Lori prepared some plates for everyone. Some squirrel meat from Daryl's catching, a few vegetables from Patricia's garden, and some apples from the tree on the farm.

Everyone began to get up to go get their plates.

Grace stood up and Daryl began to mimic her action but she pushed him back down. He looked up at her confused.

"I'll grab you a plate." She muttered before walking away.

Carol looked at the pair with a slight smile before getting up to get herself a plate as well. Once everyone had their food, they returned to their placement and some light conversation began to pick up. Grace handed Daryl a plate with the largest piece of meat she could find. He nodded at her and began to eat as he settled into silence.

"Dale found a pretty neat guitar, Grace." Glenn addressed her for the first time since she had gotten back. She stared at the face of her best-friend, feeling a little guilty that she hadn't spoken to him this whole time. She was still uncomfortable around males in general, but Glenn didn't look a thing like her captors. So she let a hesitant smile cover her face and the boy perked up.

"I use to play back in eighth grade." Grace admitted as Daryl looked at her from the corner of his eye.

"Really?" Glenn exclaimed, seeming excited. "Think you can teach me some things."

Grace felt herself hesitate again, not sure if she wanted to spend time alone with him. She looked at Daryl and he gave her a slight reassuring nod.

She looked back towards Glenn, "I can try."

The Asian boy seemed satisfied with her response and went back to talking to Maggie. Dale, who was resting on the log next to her, smiled down at her and patted her on the head. The gesture reminded her of her dad and she couldn't help but smile back. She really didn't have a problem with Dale. For some reason, she felt comfortable around the old man. Probably because he was so kind and gentle.

The group's conversation picked up after that, as if Glenn had broken some barrier that had covered them before. Grace contributed every now and then but preferred to stay silent and listen. Daryl didn't mutter a word as he looked slightly uncomfortable with everything. It's not that he didn't like these people. He was actually growing quite fond of Rick and Carol. But he had never really been one for meaningless conversation. No one pushed him though. Once he was done with his food, he put his plate on the floor and pushed it away. He noticed Grace was done too as she scooted closer to his side, rubbing her arms.

"Cold?" He whispered down in her ear. She nodded.

"Dontcha' have a jacket?" He asked.

"In the RV." She replied.

Daryl nodded and stood up. She looked up at him for a moment but he walked over to the RV as the other shot him questioning looks for his abrupt leave. He went inside the vehicle and spotted the bag that Grace kept her things in. He grabbed a thick, white jacket from the bag and returned to the group. He saw Lori, Andrea, Dale and Carol watching him from the corner of their eyes as he sat back down and handed the blonde girl her jacket. She smiled and whispered a thanks before putting it on.

Carol couldn't help but smile again.

Grace suddenly scooted closer and moved herself into his lap. He felt a little uncomfortable at the physical contact in front of the group but as soon as she pressed her back against his chest, her entire body relaxing, he felt the feeling soothe out of him. Everything with Grace just felt right and he couldn't even begin to explain it. No one said anything to them.

Rick seemed to accept their weird connection while Glenn and T-dog smirked in her direction. Lori seemed a bit uneasy with it but she kept her focus on Carl as he explained some story about feeling the chickens with her. Carol's smile increased as she munched on her food slower than the others. Dale minded his own business for now, but his own morals were taking a toll on his opinion while Andrea shot Daryl a look, much similar to the one she had given him on the highway. Shane seemed to be the only one completely disgruntled by the scene, shooting them withering looks every now and then.

But Grace ignored him and Daryl began to as well, wrapping his arms around the smaller girl to keep her warm. She fit perfectly in his muscular body, his head resting against the top of her own. She was his girl now.

She was his.

And he would make sure everyone knew that.

* * *

The next day, Daryl was out looking for Sophia, leaving Grace to find something else to occupy her. Lori and Carol were sorting out some clothes into different piles while Andrea was on watch on top of the RV. Dale was sleeping now that his shift was over and Carl was off when Glenn and Maggie somewhere. She would've gone and helped the other women, but she needed some alone time right now. She had gone through an emotional roller coaster yesterday and all she wanted to do was take some time to breath.

She wanted to find a secluded place where no one would bother her. The edge of the woods no longer provided that as Shane and T-dog were on patrol. She wasn't willing to go into the woods and the house was off limits.

Grace turned to face the other direction and the old barn came into view.

It was perfect!

No one went there as Hershel had told them he wanted them to stay away from it. But that didn't seem to matter to Grace right now. She just wanted to be alone. So she walked towards the barn, making sure no one was watching her. She walked on the side, looking for a way in.

There were stacks of hay alongside the wall and a small entrance as the top of the stack. She couldn't believe her luck for a minute and eagerly began climbing the hay. It was easier than she imagined it would be and she slid herself into the hayloft.

The first thing that caught her attention was the strong odor of the place. It was musky and putrid, almost causing her to gag. She plugged her nose and walked further out on the rising.

It was the sound that struck her next.

It wasn't hard to discern the moaning and groaning of the Walker's. She was very familiar with it. Feeling a bit confused, she continued to walk out further to the edge. She peered down and let out a gasp of fright, grasping onto the railing to keep herself steady.

Just below here were a bunch of Walkers, maybe about twenty or thirty. And they were all trying to claw their way up to her, teeth gnawing and biting at the air as they growled up towards her. She froze for a second, not believing her eyes.

_Why were there Walkers in here?_

_Was this Hershel's doing?_

_It had to be…who else would have put them in here?_

_But why was he putting them here?_

She let the questions swirl in her mind as her body relaxed when she realized they couldn't climb up the wooden ladder to get to her. She continued to stare at them as they continued growling and moaning.

Walkers were less dangerous than people these days, Grace decided. All these Walkers wanted to do was eat her, tear at her flesh as their hunger devoured them. And once they were satisfied, they would leave her there and allow her to become one of them. But that's it. That's all they wanted.

They didn't want to touch her body, force her clothes off and stick their fingers in places nobody had ever touched. They didn't want to keep her locked up like some creature, beating her senseless every now and then until they got their answers. They didn't want to trade her off to other Walkers to get weapons and supplies and leave her to be raped by another group of men.

Feeling more comfortable around them, her body collapsed in its spot and she sat along the edge, allowing her feet to hang loose as they tried to grab at them. But they was still too high up for their reach.

That was all they wanted…her flesh.

And for some reason, that made her less scared of them than she was towards the people in the world now.

She stayed like that for awhile, just watching them move underneath her. She knew she should probably tell someone, but what harm where they doing in here? A lot less harm than some humans were doing out there, that was for sure. She didn't see what the problem was. So she stayed there, rocking her feet back and forth gentlly as most of them gave up trying to reach her and began to walk around aimlessly again.

As they began to part, a particularly small one caught her attention. The shoulder length, brown hair looked too familiar. She shifted positions to get a closer look, realizing it was a child. It looked up at her as she moved and Grace's heart dropped into her stomach. Her insides turned to pure ice as she froze as the realization sunk in.

_It couldn't be…_

_It really couldn't be…_

_This couldn't be happening._

But Grace couldn't deny it as she stared into the wide blue eyes of the younger girl. The long eyelashes, the small, perky nose, the full lips and the long thin neck…it was her alright…

Grace stood up; backing away until her body was against the wall. Tears began to form in her eyes as she covered her mouth to quiet the sound of her heavy breathing. Of all the things she had been expecting when she decided to raid the tiny barn…this was not even on the list.

_Who could have put her in here without everyone knowing? _

_Was it Hershel? _

_Why had he let them continue the search if he knew she was in here?_

The questions she had before weren't even important now as these new ones consumed her mind. So many answers awaited her but she wasn't even sure how to tell anyone about this…how could she? How could she look at anyone and tell them the horrible news?

How could she…how could she look straight into Carol's eyes and tell her Sophia was one of _them_ now?

* * *

**Author's Note: Guys! I got acrylics and now I can't type :( hahaha but really...they make typing so difficult. WHY DID I DO THIS TO MYSELF? I mean, sure my nails look very pretty now...but holy cow...haha anyways...on to some better news. So as for the challenge, 15 reviews in 40 hours...well it didn't quite work...BUT WE ARE AT 200+ REVIEWS NOW! I think that calls for some celebration! So I will be uploading a one-shot of what happened to Sam and the rest of Camp and Grace's perspective of the escape sometime reallll soon so be on the look out for that. Thanks again to every who favorites, reviews, and follows! Love you all! THANK YOU!**

***Just as a side note...so as you guys can see age played a huge part in this chapter and I just have one thing to say...I'm 18 just fresh outta highschool. And if Norman Reedus for some reason showed any interest in me...hell I would not hesitate. JUSS SAYING. ;) that is all! Good night, day, morning, evening to all ya' readers!**


	14. Sweet Tea and God's Graces

***Sorry this took so long to get out. I'm so busy right now and will be for the next week or so. But I hope you enjoy this short chapter! (:**

**theAbderian: **Thanks so much for the review! Love me some sexual tension ;)

**Duvaineth: **I'm glad I can cause so many feels hahaha Thanks for the review! Hope you enjoy this one as well (:

**xVikingPunk: **THANKS so much! I'm glad you love Grace and Daryl! (:

**WriteWhenItHurts: **Wow, that means so much to me (: I'm glad you're enjoying the story! Thanks for being obsessed with my story :,) I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

**Mena in The Garden: **lolol that was my favorite line too! And I know I use the claiming her thing a lot but something about Daryl always makes me think he's so territorial...maybe it just stems from my own desires of wanting him to claim me as his...okay I'm going to shut up now haha. Fhdsfhsd last episode was so freaking crazy. I can't even-haha But anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter!

**EmpireAndAll: **Daryl is so awkward, I love it. And I think Shane's so uptight because he's not getting any from Lori anymore haha I'd kill anything for Daryl as well so I guess that makes us both pretty psycho. OH and thanks for the pinky up :,) oh how I love getting them pinkies! haha hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Thanks also to GodComplexX(dumb acrylics), underthenorthstar, Fuchsia Grasshopper, Leyshla Gisel, Emberka-2012, TiffanyRebecca, Isopt, Filmstar xXx, anniebananaie14, velvetemr74, sendcassie, Lucy Freebird, LittleRin26, Dora701, Mrs. Alexandra-Hale, Katara Melody Cullen, little Miss Michelle, Druid Archer, and peperina! ANother thanks for everyone who favorites and follows! Love you all- Tess**

* * *

**Safe and Sound**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Sweet Tea and God's Graces**

* * *

Grace let out a tiny breath as she felt Daryl's arm tighten around her body. She could tell he was waking up when his breathing became more sporadic and his body began to tense up from his relaxed position. As he shifted, her body naturally gravitated to his, curling one leg around his own as her head relaxed into the crook of his neck. She looked up towards his face, expecting his eyelashes to flutter open but instead he let out a puff of air as his nose twitched. His free hand subconsciously moved to his face and wiped away whatever itch he had felt in his sleep. His body relaxed again as his hand fell limp to his side.

Grace felt a light smile coat her face as she continued to observe the man. He looked like a young boy in this serene, defenseless state. He had cleaned himself up before Grace had snuck into his tent once everyone had gone to sleep. His hair looked incredibly soft and Grace let her hand roam over it, grasping onto the longer strands. He needed a haircut, she decided.

She let her hand travel down his face, stroking his skin softly as to not wake him up. She felt guilty staring at his sleeping face as she thought about yesterday's events. Daryl had been spending the past month searching for Sophia nonstop. And she had been in the barn this whole time. But no one knew that. They still didn't. Grace didn't know if she would be able to break the news to him. She knew how much it meant to him to find the little girl…how much it meant to all of them. But at the same time, she couldn't let them continue to put their life on the line to search for someone she knew was dead.

Her eyebrows drew together in confliction. She didn't know what to do.

Her hand traveled down his torso to creep under his shirt. She lightly traced the skin of his chest, feeling the bumps and rises of past scars. She remembered his confession about how his alcoholic father had abused him…but she didn't realize it had been that bad. Her frown grew as she thought about a young Daryl, around the tender age of seven, being hit and tortured by a grown man. No child ever deserved that. Especially not Daryl.

He suddenly woke up at the feeling of her touch and grabbed onto her hand with the speed of a lightning bolt. She froze in her actions, her cheeks turning pink at being caught. His grip loosened a bit as he recognized Grace but he didn't release her hand. He had never let anyone touch his scars, much less even see them.

But her soft, warm fingers felt nice on his cool skin and when he looked down at her he didn't see any judgmental glances. His hand finally moved away from her's.

Feeling more confident now, Grace resumed tracing the scars on his body.

A scar that traveled from his shoulder to his collarbone caught her attention. She ran her fingers over it lightly.

"What happened?" She asked gently.

The tips of Daryl's mouth turned down as he thought about the particular scar she was touching. He never told anyone about his scars. Nobody had ever really asked him about them either. There was this one girl who he had taken home from the bar one night. She had only barely touched his scars when he threw her out. He didn't want people looking at them or knowing about them. He wanted to keep his dark past hidden. But Grace already knew things about him that not even Merle knew. And she had never given him one sign that she was disgusted by him or his past.

"Ole pop threw a beer bottle at me when I was seven." Daryl answered.

He saw the girl frown as she ran her fingers over the raised skin once more. The sensation of her soft fingers tickled his skin lightly. Her attention was shifted to another large scar that ran down the side of his stomach.

"I was twelve." Daryl said without her even asking. "Got me with the tip of his boot."

Grace pressed a kiss to his shoulder and her traveling hand moved down his arm, brushing over his little hairs. Her fingers found a diagonal, small oval scar on the inside of his wrist. She picked up his hand to observe it more closely. She lifted her own arm up to compare it with her own scar on the inside of her wrist when the Boss had put out his cigarette the second time he had come in to torture answers out of her.

"Merle did that one." Daryl said. "Thought it'd be funny to use me as an ash tray. I was ten."

Grace looked up to him, eyebrows furrowed.

"Merle did that?" She let out.

Daryl nodded slowly, adverting his eyes. On the occasion, his older brother had hit him around a few times. Most of the time it was when he was chocked up on heavy drugs. The drugs had increased his own rage and he took after his dad, using Daryl as a release. Daryl had always been the smallest because of his age so he couldn't do much but sit back and take it. He had tried to fight back against Merle once and it had ended in a pretty bad concussion.

"I thought it was just your father?" She asked, her voice was barely louder than the wind rattling the tent.

Daryl shrugged his shoulders as if it didn't matter at all, "Dixon's have always had anger problems."

Grace didn't like the way he was putting it off. As if there was a good excuse or reason for his abuse. Her lips pursed in thought as she stared at Daryl. He refused to meet her gaze, looking anywhere but her. She remembered the way Merle had treated him but she had just figured it was there brotherly relationship. She had no idea that he had laid his hands on Daryl like his own father had done. The realization angered her. She knew now that Daryl would fight back against someone trying to hurt him but she knew that he was about five years younger than Merle. There was no way a ten year old boy could fight back against a fifteen year old Merle.

She felt tears begin to pool in her eyes as she thought about the young Daryl being constantly abused by his two family members…the two people who were suppose to care for him the most. She couldn't imagine growing up like that; with no one to help or to go to for comfort. He was just a little boy. He shouldn't have had to deal with things like that. Daryl was a good man, his heart far larger than he let on. Someone like him didn't deserve that kind of childhood. He deserved to be looked after, to be hugged and kissed and coddled. He deserved the love of a mother and a father. But those things had been taken away from him.

Grace felt a little guilty thinking of her perfect childhood. The way her father had protected her from any horror of the world. The way her mom would hug and kiss her, give her advice and warm motherly comfort. The way she would brush her long, blonde hair at night and tell her she was beautiful. Her house had been filled with love; fatherly love, motherly love and God's love. Daryl's house had been devoid of any type of love. The thought panged her heart.

"Don't start that." Daryl grunted suddenly, looking down at her.

Her teary eyes were making him uncomfortable. Nobody had ever shed a tear for the Dixon brothers. He shifted away from her, pulling her hand away from his scars. She let him move out of her grasp and sat up as he did. She tried to blink the tears away but more formed as her heart grew heavier.

"Grace, fuckin' knock that off." Daryl grew harsh as he became more uncomfortable and insecure.

Grace wiped at her eyes.

"I'm sorry." She choked out. "I just-You…just-You never deserved that Daryl. I mean, your dad and Merle. They should have never laid their hands on you. You deserved to be hugged and kissed and loved. Of all the people here, you didn't deserve that Daryl. Not you."

Daryl fidgeted during her little speech. He wasn't use to people saying things like that to him. Grace rubbed some more tears from her face that had managed to spill over. He didn't want her to cry for him. He didn't need her to cry for him. And to be honest, it was a little overwhelming for him to see how much she cared about him…to see that she was shedding tears for him; tears he hadn't shed himself in many years.

"Grace, calm down." He muttered, rubbing his arm.

She looked up at him, noticing how uncomfortable he looked. It only made her feel guiltier and she hid her face in her hands. She tried to control her tears for his sake.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "I'm sorry."

Grace heard him let out a tiny breath before she felt his arms enclose around her. She couldn't help herself as she tossed her arms around his neck and pulled him close. His body relaxed at her touch as he let her cling onto him and rub circles on his back, much like he was use to doing to her. The feeling comforted him silently. Her light touches were so different from the physical contact he had experienced his whole life.

They stayed like that for a few moments as Grace listened to his heartbeat, laying her head against his strong chest. His fingers ran threw her hair, loving the feel of its softness against his calloused skin. She felt a little ridiculous. She was supposed to be the one comforting him.

She pulled away from him slightly to stare up into his blue eyes. The remains of her tears still decorated her face.

"Look at me." She said through a shaky breath. "I'm supposed to be comforting you but here I am, crying like a baby."

Daryl didn't say anything but give her a light, uncharacteristic smile. His hands brushed against her cheeks, rubbing the evidence of her tears away. He pressed a kiss to her forehead before laying his lips gently on her own. He had been so gentle with her ever since she had gotten back. She shut her eyes as a few butterflies played in her stomach. When he pulled away, she collapsed back against his chest, letting out the tiniest sigh.

"What did I ever do to deserve you, Daryl?" She laughed lightly, her body vibrating against his.

She honestly didn't know why God had given her someone like Daryl during the apocalypse. Her whole life she had been blessed; loving parents, a nice house, friends, health. Sure she had done a lot of charity work, helped the homeless, volunteered at hospitals, worked with children and other endless Church activities. But she still felt she didn't deserve Daryl. She didn't deserve to have him look after her, comfort her, hold her, kiss her, care for her. She didn't deserve any of it.

She felt Daryl let out his own little laugh.

"I think it's the other way 'round, girl." Daryl said. "I'm still wonderin' what the hell I ever did to deserve ya'."

Grace didn't say anything but pressed a kiss on the underside of his chin. His light scruff tickled her face and her lips molded into a smile against his skin.

Daryl snaked his hand around the back of her neck and brought her mouth up to his. He laid a heavy kiss on her lips and she responded instantly, arching her back to get closer to him. His tongue darted out to swipe across her lip and she opened for him, giving him complete access to her entire mouth. His tongue massaged her own as his hands ran up and down her sides.

His touch tickled her and she let out a small giggle, pulling away from the kiss as her head tossed back.

"That tickles, Daryl." She said.

Daryl smirked and began to tickle her more, causing her to let out breathless laughs.

"Stop!" She complained, trying to stop her laughter but it was impossible.

Daryl let out his own little laugh as he continued to assault her sides. He buried his face in his neck, running his tongue down the soft skin. Her body shuddered against him as she continued to giggle. He grabbed some skin in his teeth, growling lightly as she let out a tiny moan. He stopped tickling her for a second and she wrapped her arms around his neck, her hands coming up to play with his hair.

He pressed a kiss to her jaw before capturing her lips once again. She let him kiss her for a few more minutes as he explored the rest of her face and neck. She could feel heat pooling in her body from his touches. But she could hear some of the bustle from their campmates waking up and she knew it was time to leave.

"Daryl." She moaned, trying to get him to stop. Her voice only made his touches quicken.

She closed her eyes lightly but tried again, "Daryl, stop. I have to go before someone finds out I spent the night in here."

Daryl let out a grunt as he pulled away and rested his forehead against her's. Her hands were still stroking the tips of the hair by the base of his neck.

"Who cares if they find out?" He muttered.

Grace opened her eyes to stare at him, "I don't. But you know how they are. They assume the worst. And I know you don't like when they gossip."

Daryl knew she was right. He hated when they gossiped about him and Grace. He reluctantly loosened his grip on her and pulled away. She kissed his cheek lightly before getting up.

"Alright, get outta' here." He said, smacking her butt as she passed by him to exit the tent.

She gave him a look over her shoulder, her cheeks stained red. He laughed a bit at her expression before lying back down.

* * *

"No, place your finger one that string there. No not that one. The one underneath."

Glenn's slender finger moved to the string in question and he looked up at Grace, awaiting her approval. She gave her a small nod.

"That is the C-chord." She said

Glenn looked down, trying to remember which fingers were on what strings. He released them after a moment, flexing his hand. He wasn't use to using his finger muscles so much and there was some tension making them ache. Grace giggled slightly at his expression, causing his cheeks to turn pink.

"That one hurts my fingers." He muttered lowly.

"You'll get use to it." Grace said. "Now I'll teach you my favorite chord."

Glenn fixed the guitar on his lap and looked ready for instruction.

"Okay, place your index finger on that string there." Glenn moved his finger to where she was pointing. "Good now put your middle finger there and your ring finger there."

Glenn followed her vague instructions and his fingers molded into the E-chord. He strummed all six strings with his other hands. The sound was light and happy, close to the whistle of the birds in the tree. A small smile lit up Grace's face as he strummed again.

"That's the E-chord." She told him.

Glenn gave her a little nod before flexing his fingers again. He set down the guitar on the floor. She had been teaching him various chords for about an hour now.

"I think that's all I can take for today." He said. "My fingers are killing me."

Grace gave him a noise of agreement. They sat in silence for awhile. Glenn wanted to talk to her, wanted to just say anything to make their friendship go back to normal. But he was felt unsure. He knew she wasn't the same girl she had been a few weeks ago. So many things had happened in the short time. But he wanted things to be as close to normal as they possibly could. Grace had been something like a sister to him and their friendship had helped keep him sane. He needed her. And he knew she needed him. She just had to heal some more.

Grace gnawed on her bottom lip in conflict. She wanted to apologize to Glenn for not talking to him. She had no reason not to trust him. He had never done anything to ever harm her. Glenn was so kind and gentle; he had always been. He didn't deserve the treatment she had been giving him. She wrung her hands together in her lap before looking at him.

"Glenn." She began but paused for a moment as he looked up to her, eyes wide with anticipation. "I'm really sorry…for ignoring you these past days. I know you tried really hard to find me when I ran off. And I'm sorry for making you worry like that. And I'm sorry for not trusting you when you did find me. And I'm sorry-"

"Grace, you don't have to be sorry for anything." Glenn said. "I should be the one saying sorry. I should have ran after you when I had the chance. But I was stupid and listened to Shane."

"You're not stupid, Glenn." Grace said. "It wasn't fair of me to run off like that. I was the stupid one for not listening to Rick."

"No one blames you." Glenn cut in. "If it had been Lori that hadn't returned, you know Rick would have taken off as well. It's obvious that you care about Daryl. And he seems to care about you just the same."

Grace felt a light blush cover her cheeks at the mention of Daryl.

"Still, I'm sorry for everything, Glenn." She said softly. "You're my best friend. I shouldn't have treated you any different."

"And you're my best friend, too." Glenn smiled. "Which is why I was never mad at you."

Grace smiled back and hesitantly reached forward to pull him in a hug. Glenn let out a relieved breath, glad Grace was beginning to recover and go back to her old self. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. He was glad his friend was back. Grace pulled away after a minute.

"So does that mean you forgive me?" She asked.

"I will." Glenn started and Grace looked at him confused. "If you play something on the guitar for me."

Grace rolled her eyes lightly, "Oh come on, Glenn."

"No! You come on." Glenn pleaded. "I want to hear you play, Graciekins."

Grace narrowed her eyes at the nickname, "I haven't played in a long time. And I can't sing."

"Sure you can!" Glenn said. "Just one song."

"No, Glenn. I don't want to." Grace complained.

Glenn saw Carl walking out of the screen door and called out to him. He knew if he got Carl to ask, Grace wouldn't be able to refuse his little blue eyes. Grace gave him a look as Carl walked over.

"Hey Carl, Grace is going to play us a song!" Glenn exclaimed.

Carl's eyes lit up as he looked at Grace, "Really?!"

"No, I'm not." Grace said, crossing her arms and looking away.

Glenn gave Carl a look, signaling at him to plead with Grace. The smaller boy gave him a small smirk, catching on. He turned to Grace and stuck his bottom lip out. He had used this look on his mom many times to get his way. The girl looked down at him for a moment, her resolve breaking.

"Come on, Grace." Carl begged. "One song! It's just me and Glenn."

Grace uncrossed her arms as she looked down at Carl and after a moment she finally nodded. Glenn and Carl broke out into a cheer of victory.

"One song!" Grace made the deal. "And it's not my fault if it sucks."

Grace picked up the guitar from the floor and set it in her lap. She gave a few experimental strums as Carl and Glenn watched her eagerly. She let out a little breath before starting the melody of the song.

"Tire swings, summer dreams, honeysuckle on the breeze. Whistle Country creek. Laying in the green grass, I was watching clouds pass. Baby, you were watching me. Cold barn struck bed, everything you said. Slowly educating me; I never had a lesson so sweet." Grace sang out. Her voice carried in the wind and was so sweet that Carol and Lori who were folding laundry nearby turned around to listen.

"You can get high on a first kiss. You can get by with sweet tea and God's graces. You can love like a sinner and lose like a winner. Nothing's shatterproof. You can crash and burn and come back someone new. And that's what I learned from you." Grace continued to sing.

She slowly strummed out a few chords but didn't really remember the last half of the song. She finished lightly; her cheeks turning red as the two boys began clapping.

"That was beautiful, Grace." Lori called out to the young girl as her face turned even redder when she noticed the two women had been listening in.

After some more praises, everyone went back to what they had been doing leaving Glenn and Grace alone again. She put the guitar back on the ground, her fingers sore like Glenn's. She hadn't played in a really long time.

"Ten bucks says I know who that song was about." Glenn said with a cheeky grin.

"Shut up!" Grace pouted, but the smile on her face spoke volumes.

Glenn just laughed and ruffled her curly, wild hair.

* * *

Grace was sitting by a tree, drinking some lemonade when she Daryl heading towards the woods. Her heart froze up as she realized where he was headed. He was going to go look for Sophia…the girl who was in the barn. The lemonade spilled out of her hands as she stood up and darted towards the man. He couldn't continue to risk his life for Sophia…she had to tell him. He noticed her as soon as she was within ten feet of him. He quirked an eyebrow in her direction as she slid next to him, her cheeks colored from her run and her hair in a large mess from the wind.

"Whadda' ya' want, girl?" Daryl asked.

Grace froze again as she stared up at him. She needed to tell him. She knew that. But she knew how much heart he had in this task of finding her…how much it meant to him and Carol. She felt herself grow less confident as the words refused to slip from her lips. She couldn't be the one who broke him like that. She didn't want to see the look on his face when he realized Sophia was dead. She couldn't do it. She just couldn't.

"Uh, well, I-" She began, trying to find some other excuse to get him from leaving.

"Well, spit it out. I ain't got all day." He grumbled.

"I just-uh, Can you teach me to shot?" She suddenly blurted out. She already knew how to shot. Her father had taught her as soon as she turned sixteen. She didn't have the best aim or anything, but she knew how to work a gun. But she needed some excuse to keep Daryl from leaving.

"Why didn't ya' go with Shane yesterday?" Daryl asked. "Taught everybody out in the woods."

Grace just gave him a small look, feeling a bit thankful that she already had an excuse for not wanting to do anything with Shane. Daryl frowned in realization and was suddenly glad the girl was asking him to teach her then leaving her to Shane.

"Can't ya' wait till tomorrow or sumthin'?" Daryl said. "Imma' go look for Sophia."

Grace chewed on the inside of her cheek, feeling guilt eat away at her stomach, "Well I was just thinkin' that if you maybe taught me I could…help you look for her."

Daryl gave her a hard glance making Grace advert her eyes to the floor. It was so hard to stand there and lie to him but she couldn't bring herself to tell him about Sophia. Maybe she would tell Rick or something so he could tell the rest of the camp. But she couldn't look Daryl in the eye and tell him all his efforts had been useless. He had nearly died just to bring back her doll. It meant a lot to the man and Grace couldn't be the one to ruin that. She knew she was being selfish but no matter how many times she tried to push the words out, they wouldn't come.

"Fine." Daryl breathed out after a moment of silence. "It's 'bout time ya' learn how to defend yerself anyways. Let's go get my gun."

Grace felt her shoulders drop in relief. She followed him back to Merle's motorcycle where he grabbed his gun. He placed a hand on the small of her back as he led her out into the woods, making sure she kept close to him. He scooped an area free of Walkers who wouldn't be drawn to the sound. Once they were far enough away from the farm, he pulled her to a stop.

He yanked an arrow out of his pouch and stabbed it into a tree about fifteen feet away. The bright orange end of it made for a nice target. He walked back towards Grace and held out his gun to her. She took it in her hands. It was incredibly similar to the gun her father had taught her with.

"Alright, hold yer hands like this." He instructed, grabbing her small hands in his own and setting them in a proper grip on the gun. "Put yer index finger on the trigger. 'Sides yer thumb, that's yer strongest finger."

Grace did as she was told and held the gun out, level with her arms. Daryl moved behind her, standing so close his body rubbed against her backside. She felt her mind go wonky from his touch and her grip loosened at little. He grabbed at her arms and bent her elbows a little.

"Don't lock out yer arms." He commanded. "Rebound's gonna' be a lot harder to control that way."

Grace gave a little nod, remembering her father's similar words.

"Now try to aim for the arrow." Daryl said, still keeping his hands on her arms and his body close. He didn't know how she was going to react from the kickback and he didn't want to her to hurt herself. "Lil' higher."

Grace moved the gun up. She knew she could probably get a shot very close to the arrow. But she wanted this lesson to take more time. She needed to keep him as distracted as she could so he didn't have time to go look for Sophia. She would tell Rick when they got back to camp and hopefully everything would be okay.

"Alright, go for it, girl." Daryl said.

Grace gave a nod and pulled the trigger back. At the last second she titled the gun higher, making the bullet strike the tree very far from the arrow. The rebound knocked her body into Daryl's, making her let out the tiniest grunt.

"Ya' can't let the noise scare ya' like that." Daryl said, assuming the reason she had lifted the gun was due to that reason. "Gotta' keep a steady aim. Keep yer eye on the target."

Grace gave a nod, pretending to listen.

"Let's try again." Daryl said, moving his hands away from her arms this time but still keeping close. "This time hold the gun with a stronger grip."

Grace did as she was told and pulled the trigger. But she set the aim up wrong on purpose this time and although it struck closer to the arrow, it was still very far off.

Daryl gave her a few more pointers again and she still pretended to listen, nodding every once and awhile. He had her try two more times, each still not successful. Daryl stayed patient with her, making her feel guilty as she continued to purposefully mess up the shots.

The gunshots masked the sound of a creeping Walker who was drawn to the noise. It groaned and growled as the scent of Grace and Daryl drifted over in the wind. With more urgency it made its way over to the shooting pair unknowingly.

Grace let out a breath and turned around to face Daryl after a few more shots. Her arms were beginning to grow sore from the stance and the guilt continued to grow, making her chest heavy.

"My arms hurt." She complained to him.

"Is that what yer gonna' tell them Walker's when they're attack ya'?" Daryl bit but rubbed her arms with his warm hands.

"Maybe. You know, we've never tried talking to them before." Grace joked. "Maybe they'll let me rest for a little before starting up again."

"This is serious, Grace." Daryl scolded. "Ya' asked me to teach ya' how to defend yerself. In a real fight, ya' gonna' get tired and yer body's gonna' wanna' stop. But ya' can't. If ya' even stop for a moment, they'll getcha'. Best ya' learn that now."

Grace let out a sigh and nodded her head, knowing he was right.

"I know but-" The crunching of the leaves made her glance over his shoulders.

The groaning Walker made her eyes widen in fright and she let out a straggled scream. Daryl turned around, reacting instantly to her expression. He didn't have time to grab the knife from his waistband as the thing tackled him to the floor, biting hungrily at his face. He had been so caught up with Grace that he hadn't been on his alert. Feeling angry at himself, he tried to push against the heavy body. But the Walker was so rabid and hungry that it put up a large fight.

He tried to roll out from under it but the thing managed to get his arm in its grasp. He struggled some more as he heard Grace call out to him. With more urgency and the sound of her voice giving him motivation, he managed to toss the thing off of him. He stood up quickly and yanked his knife free. He bent forward and grabbed the Walker by its shirt. He didn't hesitate as he stabbed the knife through its eye, making it grow limp in its hold. He dropped it, letting its head hit the floor. He let out a breath of relief as he wiped at the sweat forming on his brow line.

"Daryl!" Grace yelled. But it was too late.

A second Walker who appeared out of nowhere bent down to latch onto Daryl's shoulders. Daryl bucked around, trying to toss him off but its hold was too strong. Suddenly a shot rang out in the field and he heard the thing drop behind him. He glanced behind him to see a bullet hole directly in the middle of its eyes. He turned back to look at Grace in shock. Her arms were still holding the gun straight forward but her hold was shaky. Her blue eyes were wide with fright, some tears beginning to pool up. She let out a breath and the gun fell to the floor out of her grasp.

Daryl got up quickly and grabbed onto her as her body lurched forward. Her body was shaking heavily in his grasp and he pulled her closer to his chest, rubbing her back to calm her down slightly.

"I thought ya' couldn't shoot?" Daryl said with a shaky laugh of his own. That had been too close of a call. He had let his defenses down for one second and he had nearly gotten them both killed.

Her body tensed in the slightest under his hold but he mistook it as nerves.

"Lucky shot, I guess." She muttered into his chest.

"One hell of a lucky shot." Daryl agreed. He held her for a few more minutes before holding her out to look down at her. Her arms were folded into her chest and her body was still shaky slightly.

"That's enough for today." Daryl said. "Come on. Let's get back to camp."

Grace gave him a nod and Daryl bent down to press a light kiss on her shivering lips. Her body relaxed slightly from his touch and he pulled away after a few seconds. He grabbed the gun off the floor, keeping it in his hand as he strung his free arm around Grace, escorting the frightened girl back to camp.

* * *

The next morning everyone was sitting around the campfire eating some squirrel meat that Daryl had brought back for breakfast. It was quiet as everyone was still in the middle of waking themselves up. Grace was seated comfortably next to Daryl's side. Glenn was pacing around a few feet away and she glanced up at him every now and then wondering why he looked so nervous.

She hadn't told Rick about the Walkers in the barn yet or about Sophia. After their run in yesterday with the two Walker's Grace had been too shaken up to find the courage to go to Rick. But she knew she had to tell him soon. And soon meant today. She figured once she was done with her breakfast and Daryl went on to take care of other things, she would tell the man. She still felt dread in her stomach as she knew Daryl would find out the horrible news soon…and Carol…she didn't even want to think about how Carol was going to react.

Glenn suddenly stopped pacing and came up to the group. His face was incredibly pale and he shared a small look with Dale. He saw Grace shoot him a confused look and suddenly his thoughts were filled with protecting her, Maggie and the rest of the group.

The words seemed to slip from his mouth as those thoughts clouded his mind.

"There's Walkers in the barn." His voice broke the silence.

Everyone seemed to stop what they were doing as his statement rung out. Rick froze and looked up at the younger boy, eyes filled with question, uncertainty and confusion. Glenn swallowed heavily as Dale gave him a tiny nod.

Grace dropped the piece of meat she had been about to shove in her mouth. Her eyes widened as she thought about the very words she was going to say to Rick. But now it appeared she didn't need to…Did Glenn see Sophia too? Had he known all along like her? She looked up at him, wanting to ask him but she wouldn't do it in front of the group. She would ask him as soon as she got a chance alone with him.

The group seemed to register his words a second later and everyone began to grow frenzied. There were Walkers in the barn. This safe haven was so suddenly, not safe anymore.

* * *

**Author's Note: OHHHH SNAPPPP. So what do ya'll thinks gonna happen if Daryl finds out Grace knew about the Walkers and Sophia the whole time? SHITS ABOUT TO HIT THE FAN ONCE AGAIN GUISE. ANNDDD I know this was a short chapter compared to the usual ones but I had no time to write these days and its so frustrating. I shouldn't even be posting this right now because I'm already running late for my tech rehearsal for dance concert but oh wellzzz. I hope you guys enjoy. OHH and I have a new Walking Dead story out called Butterfly Caught so check that out if you can and Wicked Games as well if you haven't done that either! Love you all- Tess**

***Song Grace sings is called Sweet Tea and God's Graces by TSwift (:**


	15. Everything Has Changed

***Hey guys! So I replied to most of the people who responded to that annoying author's note but there's still a few people I have to get to, which I will do tomorrow haha. I have to be up at six tomorrow or else I would do it tonight but I'm so tired haha. I know I'm getting this up late and it's a little shorter than normal but I felt like I needed to do this for guys haha. Based on all the reviews and replies I got in response to be dilemma, you guys have convinced me to carry on and let this story develop on its own. I'll explain my final verdict probably more next chapter as I am really tired right now and I just want to get this posted haha. But thank you all so much! I really appreciate all the support (:**

**So here's a new chapter. Hope you enjoy! (:**

* * *

**Safe and Sound**

* * *

**Chapter 15: Everything Has Changed**

* * *

"You can't tell me you're okay with this!" Shane yelled at Rick as he backed away from the barn. Grace watched him cautiously as he tugged off his hat and smoothed a hand over his shaven head in frustration. She made to walk closer to the group but Daryl's arm shot out, preventing her from moving past him.

"I'm not but we're guests here." Rick retorted, his voice rough with weary and anger.

"This is our lives, man." Shane continued without missing a beat.

"Lower your voice." Glenn warned. He didn't want the group to alert the Greene family that they were by the barn. He knew it was only a matter of time before Maggie would find out he told the group; that he betrayed her trust. But he didn't want to deal with that at the moment. Hell, he didn't want to deal with that ever.

"You can't just sweep this under the rug." Lori said, pulling on Rick's arm.

"It ain't right." Dale cut in. He made to say something else but Shane cut him off.

"We either go in there and make things right or we gotta' go. Look we've been talking about Fort Benning for a long time now."

"We can't go." Rick enunciated, running a hand over his worn face.

"Why, Rick?" Shane pleaded. "Why?"

"They won't hurt us." Grace cut in. Her voice made the group freeze for a moment, as if they didn't believe she had muttered something. Daryl shot her a warning look but she pushed past him. "The Walkers. They won't hurt us if we just keep them locked up like that."

"Leave it to the preacher's daughter to agree with that crazy ole' man." Shane muttered under his breath. "Ya' know something we don't, girl?"

The young blonde's face flushed at his hidden accusation. Yes, she had been in the barn. She had sat along the edge of the loft, let her feet dangle to the Walkers like a piñata. But they couldn't climb ladders and they most certainly couldn't break through the heavy padlocks on the farmhouse. But she didn't want to give herself away. She didn't want Daryl to find out she had been keeping something this severe from him like this.

"I just-Look, how long have we been on this farm?" Grace asked rhetorically. "They haven't gotten out yet. I don't think they ever will."

"And if they do?" Shane challenged. "What then? We just let everyone get killed because we didn't take care of the problem when we had the chance?"

"You're a cop." Grace said and Shane cocked his eyebrow, not understanding why the girl would bring that up now. "You lock people in cells with smaller padlocks that those on the barn. But you never worried about them getting out and killing you, did you?"

"That's different." Shane said, rolling his eyes.

"You're right." Grace retorted. "It is different. It's much worse. People…people are much worse than Walkers. All a Walker's gonna' do is try and eat us. But people…they'll hurt you, take away things you didn't even realize you had, break you, torture you, beat you till you bleed to death, touch you in places you don't want to be touched, cut you until you answer their questions…I'd-I'd rather live next to a barn full of Walkers than a prison."

The group was speechless. What Grace had gone through was common knowledge by now; things just got passed around the camp like that. But she had never talked about it since that day with Carol and Lori…never made any acknowledgment to the abuse she had endured. Until now.

Daryl grabbed the shaky girl her upper arm and pulled her back to his side.

"That's enough for now." He hissed in her ear.

He watched her nod obediently and her body began to relax.

"My daughter's still out there." Carol said softly, breaking the looming silence of the group.

Shane let out a scoff and wiped at his mouth. He let out a few breaths before looking at the woman.

"I think it's time that we all start just considering the other possibilities."

"Shane, we are not leaving Sophia behind." Rick cut in firmly.

Grace felt Daryl's body tense up beside her getting ready to strike. She grabbed his arm but he quickly shook her off.

"I'm close to findin' this girl." Daryl growled. "I just found her damn doll a few days ago."

"You found her doll, Daryl." Shane snapped. "That's what ya' did. You found a doll."

"Ya' don't know what the hell yer talkin' 'bout." Daryl shouted, throwing his arm up in anger.

Grace saw tears begin to form in Carol's eyes so she stepped closer to the older woman and grasped her hand in her smaller one. The woman gave her a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"I'm just saying what needs to be said here!" Shane gripped. Lori looked at the man in disbelief.

"Alright, alright." Rick tried to cut. A fight was the last thing they needed.

"Look, if you don't get a good lead in the first forty-eight hours." Shane trailed off before turning back around to face Daryl. "And let me tell ya' something else. If she was alive out there and saw you coming, all methed out with your buck knife and geek ears around your neck, she would run in the other direction, man!"

Daryl shouted a few obscenities in his direction before pouncing, eager to give the man a good beating. Grace dropped Carol's hand, rushing over to Daryl and pressing her hands against his chest, trying to push him back.

"Daryl," She said but he wasn't even sparing her a look, his anger directed solely at Shane. "Daryl, stop. He isn't worth it."

Rick was trying to contain Shane who looked just as eager to start a brawl with the redneck.

"Oh he's worth it." Daryl grunted. "Bastards been due for an ass beatin' for a long time now."

"The hell you talking about?" Shane yelled back, trying to push past his friend.

"Ya' know what the hell I'm talkin' about, ya' lousy fuckin' pig." Daryl shouted. Grace pushed against him harder, this time catching his attention.

"Daryl, please." Grace pleaded. "Don't do this."

Daryl scoffed but the frightened look in her eyes made him recoil instantly. He didn't want her to be afraid of him. He didn't want her to ever be afraid of anything.

Shane let out a bitter laugh once he saw Daryl fall back. "That's right. Listen to your little girl."

"Stop." Rick commanded before another fight started. "Everyone stop, right now. Let me talk to Hershel, figure it out."

"What are you going to figure out?" Shane yelled, this time he was headed towards Rick. Lori quickly intercepted, pushing him away from her husband.

"If we're going to stay, if we're going to clear this barn. I have to talk him into it. This is his land." Rick said.

"Hershel thinks those things in there are people." Dale said, trying to diffuse the situation. "Sick people. His wife…his stepson."

"You knew?" Rick asked in disbelief.

"Yesterday, I talked to Hershel." Dale nodded.

"And you waited the night?" Shane asked, angrily.

"I thought we could survive one more night." Dale retorted, easy to give his opinion. "And we did. I was waiting till the morning but Glenn wanted to be the one to say something."

"Man, Hershel's crazy if he thinks those things in there are people!" Shane yelled.

Rick was about to respond but all the shouting finally drew the attention of the Walkers in the barn. They began to push against the door, their weight making it shake. Daryl quickly pushed Grace behind him and in the direction of the camp, far away from the barn. The group began to follow his lead; everyone wanted to get as far away as possible.

* * *

Grace let out a tiny breath as she stared over the farm. She leaned back further, pressing her entire back against the front of Daryl's legs. She was currently sitting on the ground, staying close to Daryl (by his orders), as he cleaned some bolts. She could feel how tense his body was under her back and she leaned her head back to look up at him. His gaze was heavy, focusing completely on the task.

"You're still angry." She remarked.

He refused to meet her gaze, "Don't care what that fucker says."

Grace narrowed her ocean-colored eyes, seeing straight past his lie. Daryl might not give a damn about Shane, but she knew the man's words about Sophia were replaying constantly in his mind.

She turned around to face his direction, sitting back on her heels.

"You know what he said wasn't the truth, right?" She asked.

Daryl let out a tiny grunt.

"If Sophia," Grace paused for a moment, swallowing hard. "If Sophia saw you out there, I think she'd be the happiest girl in the world, regardless of whether you had ears around your neck."

Daryl didn't say anything but he did cast her a sideways glance for a moment. She almost laughed at his behavior. Daryl always seemed so sure of himself, so sure of what to do. Seeing these moments of insecurity almost made it seem like she was staring at a whole other person.

Grace pushed the bolts away from him and sat herself down in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. Daryl looked down at her in shock, her behavior uncommon.

"I was cleanin' those, girl." Daryl said, but his tone lacked any conviction.

"And now you ain't." She said with a light smile.

Daryl quirked an eyebrow, his hands coming up to grab her hips, "I think yer forgettin' who's in charge here."

"I don't think so." Grace replied, scrunching up her small nose.

"Ya' sure about that?" Daryl growled in her ear sending a sliver of electricity through her body.

Before she had time to catch her breath, Daryl had her lips pinned to his. She closed her eyes instinctively as she felt herself turn into goo in his arms. He placed one hand on the back of her neck to keep her steady as he deepened the kiss with his tongue. His other hand held onto her hip almost painfully as his rough fingers dug into her tender skin.

She felt naughty…dirty as his tongue massaged her own and explored every crevice in her mouth. But her senses were clouded with Daryl's presence and she let herself cave to her desires for the moment. His teeth caught onto the tip of her tongue, scraping over the sensitive skin. Grace pulled away with a squeal, giggling at the feeling.

"Whatcha' laughin' 'bout?" Daryl smirked. "I'll give ya' something to laugh 'bout, baby girl."

Daryl was glad he decided to put his tent far away from the group. He wasn't all for putting on a show. He was going to take advantage of the privacy. He latched onto her neck-sucking, nipping and kissing like he knew she loved. Grace gave out a breathy moan as he suddenly dipped lower, taking her collarbone in his mouth. She threw her head back as he caressed the area with his hot lips. The hand that had been on her head slipped down and under her shirt, possessively covering her lower back.

His lips moved up to meet her's again before he pulled away, leaning his forehead against hers. She took a deep breath.

"Ya' never told me yer full name." Daryl mumbled.

Grace's eyebrows pulled together in confusion, "What?"

"Yer full name." Daryl repeated. "What's yer full name?"

Grace let out a giggle, "You had to know right now?"

Daryl grumbled something under his breath before speaking, "I'm tryin' to do this right, girl."

Grace ceased her laughter and pulled away to look up at him. He met her gaze slowly but quickly looked away a bit uncomfortable. A redness was beginning to claim his neck. Completely overwhelm by emotion at his small statement, she kissed the side of his mouth before running a hand down his cheek.

"Grace St. Michael." She whispered. "Grace Elizabeth St. Michael."

Daryl pressed his lips against hers again and she felt herself grin against them for a moment before kissing him back.

* * *

Daryl carried a large saddle into the horse stable ready to clean it up and equip it on one of the horses to go out to look for Sophia again. He had made sure Grace was far from the barn, enlisting her to help Lori cut up some carrots. He hadn't told her where he was going, knowing she would only fret over him. It made him slightly uncomfortable every time she did. He wasn't use to people caring or giving a fuck.

He set the heavy saddle down on the stand, grimacing and gripping his side as the pain from the movement sprung through his body. He let out a large breath before his trained hunter ears picked up the sound of fast footprints heading his direction. He didn't need to turn around knowing it was probably Grace chasing after him the second she saw him walking towards the barn. He rolled his eyes before a voice he wasn't expecting clouded the room.

"You can't." Carol said firmly.

"I'm fine." Daryl grunted, confused on why the woman was even in here. Didn't see want him to go look for Sophia…it was her daughter after all.

"Hershel said you need to heal." Carol didn't relent.

"Yeah. I don't care." Daryl mumbled. He was tired of people trying to decide what was best for him. He was a Dixon, some stitches and scratches weren't going to stop him.

"Well I do." Carol said, surprising the man. "And so does Grace. Rick's going out later to follow the trail."

"Well I ain't gonna' sit 'round and do nothin'." He retorted, opening one of the stables.

"You're going to go out there and get yourself hurt even worse." Carol said, crossing her arms. "And you don't just have yourself to worry about now. How do you think Grace is going to feel if you come back the way you did last time? How do you think she's going to feel if you end up killing yourself out there?"

"This ain't 'bout Grace." Daryl grumbled.

Carol sighed. She knew Daryl had a hard time showing he cared. Hell, he had a hard time showing anything. But she knew finding Sophia meant something to the man and she was beginning to realize it meant a whole lot more than she expected. He was right. Him being in here trying to saddle up a horse was not for Grace. He wasn't looking for Sophia for Grace's benefit. This was strictly about her little girl.

"We don't know if we're going to find her, Daryl." Carol finally said after a moment of silence. Daryl's body tensed up as he slowly turned around to face her. "We don't."

She could see a certain amount of anger behind his gaze, some disgust, but she also saw a shroud of fear in his eyes. All she could do was shrug. She felt exactly the same as those words slipped from her mouth.

"I don't." She whispered.

Daryl squared his body towards her, stepping closer. The woman looked up at him with such unadulterated emotion that for a moment he pictured Grace standing there, muttering those exact words to him. He felt his body clench up.

"What?" He asked lowly.

Carol caught his eye for a moment, "I can't lose you too."

The words caught him off guard yet struck home. He remembered how he felt when realized Grace was missing, how worried he had been thinking that she could be dead. And he had been completely useless. He could barely walk, had to lay in a tent as some of the other men went to search for his girl. He had been useless. And now, he was feeling the same thing. Sophia was still missing and here was her own mother, giving up on him to find her. He knew how much the whole camp was relying on him to find her. He was the hunter, the tracker. He could stalk deer and squirrels, so why couldn't he find a small, little girl in the words?

He suddenly felt angry not only at the group, but at himself too. He pushed past Carol, grabbing the saddle and throwing it to the ground in a fit of anger. He could feel the stitches stretching his skin, pain wafting through his body. He let out a noise of discomfort and grabbed at his side.

Carol rushed to his aid.

"Are you alright?" She cried.

"Leave me be." Daryl shouted, still incredibly angry. He stalked away from her, wanting nothing more to be alone. "Stupid bitch."

* * *

Grace walked up to Glenn, whose focus was on Maggie standing by the porch. The blonde pulled on his arm to get his attention. Reluctantly, he finally looked away from the girl.

"Take it she's mad at you?" Grace prodded.

"She didn't want me to tell everyone about the barn." Glenn confessed. "But I couldn't keep it a secret."

Grace looked down at her hands for a moment, knowing exactly how her friend felt. She had known about the barn, about Sophia. But unlike Glenn, she didn't have someone there telling her not to tell anyone. She had let herself play that Devil. Glenn caught the look on her face.

"What's wrong?" He asked gently.

Grace was silent for a moment, "How long did you know about the barn?"

"Since the night you went missing." Glenn answered.

So longer than she had know.

She went silent again and Glenn glanced down at her, watching a parade of emotions swipe through her face.

"Why?" He asked.

"Hmm?" She vibrated from the back of her throat.

"Why'd you want to know?" He explained.

Her whole body tensed before she slowly looked up at him, "I knew too."

Glenn's eyes widened in surprise.

"You knew?" He clarified.

Grace nodded, "I was just looking for a quiet place to be alone after…well after everything."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Glenn asked.

"I saw something in there." Grace said, not answering him.

He raised an eyebrow in question. The younger girl searched his face for any recognition, any sign that would tell her that he knew as well. But he continued to look at her in confusion.

"How long were you in there for?" She asked. "Did you get a moment to just look around?"

Glenn shook his head, "Maggie nearly bit my head off. Pulled me out of there the second I saw."

Grace's shoulders slumped down.

"Why?" Glenn said. "Grace, what did you see?"

"Sophia." Grace muttered her voice softer than a whisper.

Glenn chocked on his own breath for a second, his face turning pale, "What do you mean Sophia?"

"I saw her, Glenn. In the barn." Grace said, covering her face with her hands. "I saw her and I didn't even tell anyone."

"Sophia's…" But Glenn couldn't even complete the thought. "Why didn't you tell anyone Grace? You can't just keep that from us! People were out there every day risking their lives to find her!"

"Don't you think I know that?!" Grace shouted suddenly. "I knew and I wanted to tell someone so bad. But I couldn't. I-I couldn't be the one to tell Carol her daughter was dead. I couldn't break her heart like that…and Daryl…you know how much he wanted to find her. He nearly got himself killed for her. I couldn't destroy either of them like that."

Tears were beginning to fall from her eyes and Glenn couldn't let himself be mad at her seeing them. He quickly took her in his arms as she cried.

"It's okay, Grace. We'll tell them now, together." Glenn said. "But if Sophia's in there…who put her in there? How did Hershel manage to slip her in there without any of us noticing? And he wanted us gone as soon as we found her…so how come he kept it from us?"

Grace had no answers for him. She had no idea who put Sophia in the barn. It was obviously one of the Greene's or Jimmy. There was no one else here who would put her there…but why didn't they tell the group when they found her? Why had they kept that from them?

* * *

It was too late for Glenn or Grace to tell anyone about Sophia. It seemed like everything had happened in one blink of the eye. They had heard shouting and had run over to the barn. Daryl and Carol were already there; little white flowers in Carol's shaky hands. T-dog, Lori, Carl, Dale and Andrea were all there as well. Shane was screaming about needing to kill the Walkers, about needing to take care of this problem. And then Rick had showed up and all hell broke loose.

Grace could barely hear anything. Her heart was pounding so heavily that it clouded her hearing. She could barely make out the gunshots, the screams, the sound of the bodies hitting the floor. She felt disconnected as she watched her group shoot every single Walker in the barn. She saw the Greene family wrapped in their own little cocoon as they watched the horror being unleashed.

And then Sophia had stepped out of the barn and time had frozen over. There wasn't a single noise on the farm, not even breathing. And then Rick had placed a bullet through her head; her tiny body dropping to the floor before anyone could say anything. But there wasn't anything to say. That was it. All their hopes had just died along with that little girl.

Dead.

Gone.

Destroyed.

* * *

Daryl had moved his tent even farther from the other's.

Grace frowned as she watched his muscular body slip into the tent. She could see the shadow of his body inside as he threw some things around. He immerged a second later carrying some bloody bolts in his hands. He sat down on log that he had dragged out from the woods and began to clean them. Grace let out a little breath and began to walk towards the man.

"Daryl?" She called out tentatively when she was close enough for him to hear her.

He made no acknowledgments and Grace felt her shoulders slump as she finally closed the distance between them. There were no words for this situation. Nothing could even begin to comfort those who had just watched a small, shell of a girl be shot in the head.

Grace placed her hand on his taut shoulder, not knowing what else to do. He tensed up under her touch for a moment but didn't pull away.

He suddenly stood up, the bolts tumbling off his lap to the floor. He made to move away from her but she caught onto his arm.

"Daryl." She said, hesitantly.

Daryl turned his body to face her. The stress lines on his face deepened, his lips pulled down and his eyelids were heavy.

"I was supposed to find her." He said so quietly she barely heard him. "And all this time that bastard was right; just chasin' a ghost."

Grace didn't say anything but wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close. He let himself fall into her embrace for a moment, wrapping his own arms around her small body.

They stayed like that for awhile. Just taking comfort in each other's presence.

This wasn't the time for this. But would there ever be a right time for this? The truth was weighing heavily on Grace, collapsing her lungs and chilling her bones. She had to tell him. She had to confess her sin. But every time she tried to get the words out, her throat closed up and her vocal cords froze. But she couldn't hold onto this any longer. She had to tell him.

"I knew." Grace finally said, but her voice was so quiet and frail that Daryl did not understand her.

His eyebrows knotted together and he took a step closer to the small blonde.

"Ya' what?" His voice was coarse.

Grace could tell how stressed he was, how frustrated, disappointed and angry he was about finding Sophia dead. She knew he had truly believed he would find her. Knew how bad he wanted to find the small girl. And Grace had let him believe Sophia was alive when she knew the truth. She could feel tears beginning to prickle in her eyes but easily pushed them away. She had no right to be upset. She had done this to herself. She had created this mess. But now she had to fix it.

"I knew." She breathed out a bit louder. "I knew about the barn…about Sophia."

Daryl's body tensed at her confession. For a second, she honestly believed he was about to hit her. The way he coiled up, as if he was a snake about to strike. She flinched, awaiting the blow but it never happened. The anger in Daryl's face had morphed to something else. Something akin to a mixture of disappointment, disbelief, anger and something that struck her heart, sadness and fear. But as quickly as each of those emotions appeared, they vanished in the blink of his cobalt eyes. His new expression was inscrutable.

She waited for him to talk…to say anything; just anything. But it was dead quiet. The whole farm was dead quiet. It seemed as though the whole group had heard her confession but she knew that her and Daryl were too far away. It felt like eternity before words finally slipped from his mouth.

"You knew." He repeated her; his voice low…dangerous. "You knew that girl was dead."

Grace finally released the breath she hadn't realized she was holding in. Her throat was closed up again; a tightness in her body that was only growing. She could only nod at his statement.

"How long?" Daryl growled, pinching the space between his eyebrows. "How long have you known?"

Grace sucked in a breath of air before answering, "A couple days."

"Had any plans of tellin' someone she was dead?" Daryl bit sarcastically.

"I-I couldn't." Grace whispered. "I couldn't do it. I tried, Daryl. I really tried to tell you. But I knew how much you wanted to find her…how much it meant to you. And Carol…I couldn't be the one to tell her that her daughter was dead. I just-I couldn't do it. I was going to tell Rick this morning, I promise. But Glenn beat me to it…I was going to though. I promise, I was going to."

"And ya' didn't even think to tell me?" Daryl hissed, his voice getting increasingly louder. "I was out there! Out there every damn day lookin' fer some dead girl! I risked my life to find her and ya' knew she was dead this whole time?!"

"Daryl, please," Grace pleaded. "I tried to tell you. I wanted to tell you but I just…I couldn't do it. I could't."

Dark clouds were beginning to roll in, shadowing their faces. The new darkness seemed to make Daryl's anger more intense as the muscles in his biceps tightened up.

"Ya' lied to me!" Daryl shouted. "Ya' knew that girl was dead and ya' didn't tell me! Ya' let me go runnin' 'round like some dumbass lookin' for a ghost."

Grace could fell tears pooling in her eyes and this time she couldn't get them to disappear. She stepped closer to the man. She wanted to make him understand why she didn't tell him…why she let him keep looking for someone she knew was dead…But he backed away from her; his expression twisted into disgust.

"That wasn't a lucky shot, was it?" He grunted. "That day in the woods-that wasn't a lucky shot."

Grace bit her lip and hesitantly shook her head. It wasn't a lucky shot. She had known to shoot since she was sixteen, taught by her father. But she had pretended to know nothing, allowing Daryl to teach her as a distraction from the search. Daryl's realization only increased his anger tenfold. He let out a scoff before he whirled around and stormed away from her. Grace stood in shock for a moment before trailing after him.

"Daryl, wait please." She cried out. "Just let me explain."

But the man continued to stomp away, his heavy boots making indents in the soft soil. She broke into a run to catch up with him and slid in front of him, eager to stop the man from leaving her before she could explain herself.

"Daryl, let me explain." She said through her breaths. "Please."

"Get away from me." Daryl hissed.

But Grace wouldn't relent.

"Daryl, please." She begged. "I-I love you. Please don't do this."

"I said, get away from me." He growled, grabbing her by the upper arms and pushing her out of his way. She stumbled from the force as he continued to storm away.

Grace wrapped her arms around her body as rain began to slip from the dark clouds, easily hiding her tears. As she stood there, heart snapping in half, as she watched Daryl walk away and into the woods, she realized that she had just told him that she loved him.

And he had walked away from her.

* * *

**Author's Note: WELP. That was interesting. I hope you all enjoyed haha (: Again, for the people I haven't responded to in regards to the author's note, I promise I will get to that tomorrow! As for now, leave a review, tell me whatcha' think ;)**

**Thanks again to all the people who favorite/follow/review. Love you all (:**


	16. I Knew You Were Trouble

***Hey guys! New chapter woot woot! Sorry this took so long for me to write and everything. I was having a hard time with it for some reason haha. But it's out now so I hope you all enjoy it! I've replied to everyone who reviewed last chapter who has an account through PM so I'm just going to reply to those who reviewed as a guest now! Thank you guys for everything!**

**JoFrench22: **Grace can be a little stupid sometimes hhaha. Thanks for reading and reviewing! Hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

**Katie: **Thank you so much! That means a lot to me! I hope you love this chapter as well!

**It has also come to my attention that I need to be a warning on another chapter about the sexual assault scene. I'm sorry if I've offended anyone but I honestly believed that because it wasn't full on rape, it wasn't brutal enough for an extra warning as the rating of this story is already set on Mature. But I will go back and add one!**

* * *

**Safe and Sound**

* * *

**Chapter 16: I Knew You Were Trouble When You Walked In**

* * *

Grace stared out the window in the kitchen as she helped Beth wash some dishes. The farm was eerily quiet. She could see some of the group piling the dead bodies in a stack, loading them into the back of a blue truck. She bit her lip and looked back down to the sink.

Beside her, Beth was quiet as well. She didn't look up towards the window but focused mainly on the soapy dishes in her hand. Grace wished she could say something to her new friend. But what could she say in a time like this? There was nothing to say.

Suddenly, Beth collapsed next to her, the plate that had been in her hand clattered to the floor. Grace let out a scream in shock as she bent down next to the girl, cradling her head off the floor.

"Maggie!" She yelled and the tall brunette came running into the kitchen.

When she saw Beth on the floor, she instantly ran to Grace's side, taking Beth from her arms.

"What happened?" She asked quickly.

"I don't know." Grace replied. "We were just washing dishes and she collapsed."

Lori entered the kitchen, frantic as well.

"Grace, help me carry her to her room." Maggie ordered. "Someone go get my dad!"

Grace lifted Beth's legs as Maggie grabbed onto her torso. They slowly began carrying her to her room. Carol was by the door already, opening it from the two girls. They set her softly on the bed.

Ten minutes late, Maggie sat down next to her body, stroking her hair.

"Sweetie, can you hear me?" Maggie whispered down to her little sister.

Lori rushed into the room a second later.

"What's wrong with her?" Maggie asked.

"She might be in shock." Lori answered. "Where's Hershel?"

"We can't find him anywhere." Glenn said, crossing his arms as he stood by the foot of the bed.

Maggie sighed before looking at Grace, "Can you stay here with her?"

Grace nodded quickly, "Of course."

Maggie nodded in return before motioning for Glenn to leave with her. Grace took Maggie's spot easily, brushing her fingers through the younger girl's hair. Lori stood back for a moment, watching the pair. It was creepy almost. They looked so much alike, almost twins. She rubbed her face and left the room, following after Maggie and Glenn.

An hour passed before Maggie entered the room again; this time without Glenn. Grace looked up to her in question.

"Rick thinks he's at the bar in town." Maggie said, sitting on the bed. "Him and Glenn went to go get him."

A million thoughts rushed through Grace's head and she turned to look out the window. She could see Daryl leaving the RV and rushing to his new campsite that was even further away. Her heart skipped a beat at his sight before a wave of anguish rushed through her. She willed away the tears in her eyes, knowing he had every right to be mad at her. She just didn't think he would go this far as to avoid her at every cost…not after she had told him she loved him.

She brushed a hand through her hair and exited Beth's room. She needed to get away. The sight of Daryl was driving her mad and she just wanted a break from everything. She left the house to see Rick and Glenn by one of the cars. She broke into a light jog to catch up to them.

Glenn looked a bit surprised by her sudden presence.

"I want to come with you guys." She said, catching Rick's attention now. He had thought she was coming over to say bye to Glenn.

"What?" Glenn asked.

"I want to go get Hershel with you guys." She repeated.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Grace." Rick said, barely looking at her.

"Beth is my friend." Grace said. "I want to help her."

"I know you do, Grace." Rick replied. "But you don't know how to handle yourself."

"Daryl taught me how to shoot." She cut in. "I can handle myself just fine. Please, I want to come."

Rick shared a look with Glenn but the younger boy just shrugged.

"If anyone, Hershel's going to listen to her the most." Glenn said. "Besides, the town's pretty clear. It shouldn't be a problem."

Rick let out a breath but looked down at the hopeful girl, "You listen to everything I say? And you don't go off on your own."

Grace nodded quickly, "I promise."

Rick studied her for a moment before sliding her a 10mm pistol, "You don't shoot unless it's completely necessary. Got it?"

Grace nodded again, "Got it."

Ten minutes later and Grace was seated in the back seat as Rick drove along the dirt road. She looked out the window for a moment, trying to catch sight of Daryl but he seemed to have disappeared. With a heavy heart, she leaned back against her seat trying to ignore the hurt and disappointment fluttering inside.

They drove in silence for awhile longer, passing a few buildings and finally hitting the road rather than dirt.

"Maggie says she loves me." Glenn said suddenly, breaking the silence. "She doesn't mean it."

Grace felt another pang in her heart at his words and shifted her gaze to the trees they were passing.

"I mean, she can't." Glenn continued. "I mean…she's upset, confused. She's probably feeling-"

"I think she's smart enough to know what she's feeling." Rick cut in.

Grace felt a frown cover her face. Was she smart enough to know what she was feeling? Did she really love Daryl or did those words just suddenly come out in the heat of the situation? She thought back to the time she had spent with him. She couldn't deny that every touch of his had burnt a fire in her stomach, every look causing butterflies to build up…she felt so safe around him and so content, like she could just lie in his arms forever. Was that love? Or was it just some sort of crush? Had she ever even been in love?

"No…no, no." Glenn scoffed causing Rick to laugh, "She wants to be in love so…"

Is that what was making Grace think she loved Daryl? She wanted to be in love, wanted to be held and protected…so she convinced herself she was really in love?

"I think it's pretty obvious to everyone that Maggie loves you." Rick replied, "And not just because you're the last man standing. So what's the problem?"

The problem was Daryl didn't love her back. He was mad at her, that much was clear. But he hadn't even reacted to her confession, hadn't even paused as he walked away. She thought back to the moment, remembering the way her heart had snapped in half as he retreated away.

"I didn't say it back." Glenn said. "I've never had a woman say that to me before. You know, except my mom of course and my sisters. But with Maggie, it's different. We barely know each other. I mean, nothing. We're practically strangers. I didn't know what to do. I just stood there, like a jerk."

"Hey, this is a good thing." Rick said. "Something we don't get enough of these days. Enjoy it. And when we get back, return the favor. It's not like she's going anywhere."

In that moment, Grace realized she did love Daryl. She loved everything about him. There was no ifs or questions anymore. So they had only known each other for a while, but that didn't stop a thing. She believed in soul mates, believed that God had made one person for everyone in the world. And God had given her Daryl…only she had ruined it with her lies. She had sinned and God had taken away Daryl as her punishment. She let her head roll back on the seat, letting out a heavy breath.

"She loves you." She said suddenly, making Rick look at her threw the rear view mirror. "There's no question about it."

* * *

Lori rushed over to where Daryl was sitting. He was a ways off from the farm and Lori broke into a little jog once she got closer. He was making some new bolts with his knife.

"Moved into the suburbs?" Lori joked but he didn't reply at all. "Listen, Beth's in some catatonic shock. We need Hershel."

"Yeah?" Daryl grunted, not looking at her. "So what?"

"So I need you to run into town real quick and bring him and Rick back." Lori said, kneeling on the ground next to him.

When he refused to reply, Lori called out his name to catch his attention.

He scoffed and looked up at her, "Yer bitch went window shoppin'. Ya' want him, fetch him yerself. I got better things to do."

He went back to sharpening the wood with his knife.

"What's the matter with you?" Lori looked at him in disbelief. Grace was with the group. She was surprised he had even let her go and now he wouldn't even go get them? "How could you be so selfish?"

"Selfish?" Daryl bit, suddenly very angry. He stood up to his full height and pointed his knife in her direction. "Listen Olive Oil, I was out there lookin' for that little girl every single day. I took a bullet n' an arrow in the process. Don't ya' tell me I haven't been gettin' my hands dirty!"

"Ya' want those two idiots, have a nice ride!" He continued. "I'm done looking for people."

Lori stood up as he sat back down and went back to making his bolts. She stared at him for a moment.

"Grace is with them too." She said, her voice barely heard.

His head whipped up to look at her and see saw a flash of shock before his expression melted back into his normal scowl.

He hadn't known.

Silence over took them and she waited for him to jump up and head into town to fetch the group. But he just went back to sharpening the wood.

"Grace can do whateva' the hell she wants." He hissed. "I don't care."

* * *

Rick pushed the door to the bar open, holding his gun in front of him. When only Hershel's form met their view, he tilted it down and called out his name.

"Who's with you?" The older man asked, not turning around.

"Glenn." Rick began.

"Maggie sent him?" Hershel interrupted.

"And Grace." Rick finished. "They volunteered. They're good like that."

Grace's name caused Hershel to swirl around in his car and look at the trio. Rick walked towards him with the other two held back.

"How many you had?" Rick asked, looking at the glass in his hand.

"Not enough." Hershel laughed bitterly.

"Mr. Greene, you need to come back." Grace said, a 10mm pistol held in her hand. "Beth fainted and now she won't respond to anyone. She needs you."

"I think she's in shock." Rick cut in. "And I think you are too."

"Maggie's with her?" Hershel asked.

"Yeah. But she needs you." Rick said.

"What could I do?" Hershel said, causing Glenn to scoff. "She needs her mother."

"No." Grace said. "She needs her daddy."

Hershel looked up at her and for a minute, he could almost picture her as Beth; standing there and muttering the same words.

"She needs to grieve." He finally said. "Like she should have done a few weeks ago. I robbed her of that. I see that now."

"You thought there was a cure." Rick said. "You can't blame yourself for holding out on hope."

"I was a fool, Rick." Hershel said. "And your people saw that."

"There's nothing foolish about having hope." Grace said. "John 5:6 'When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him 'Do you want to get well?' You were holding onto your wife and son in hopes that Jesus would grant them the same opportunity. There is nothing wrong with that at all, Mr. Greene. And Beth will understand. But right now, she needs you. She needs her father."

"You know what is foolish though?" Rick asked when the man didn't reply. "Sitting here and acting like everything has change. Nothing has changed. Death is death, it's always been there. Whether it's from heart attack, cancer or a Walker, what's the difference? This isn't about what we believe anymore. It's about them."

It was silent again for a moment as Hershel chugged down the rest of his drink. But then he slammed his glass against the bar and pushed it away from him. Glenn and Grace shared a smile as Rick placed a hand on his shoulder in relief.

Getting ready to leave, Rick walked back towards the two younger people. He patted Grace on the head, pleased that he had brought her along knowing she would have the most effect on Hershel. They started walking towards the door when it suddenly swung open. Grace took a step back in fear, holding her gun up when two figures entered the dimly lit bar.

"Son of a bitch." A voice muttered. "They're alive."

Rick took no time to react. He grabbed Grace's arm and pulled her behind him and Hershel as the men strode into the bar.

The pair looked over the group for a moment, not noticing Grace who was now hidden behind the two older men.

"How 'bout a drink?" The smaller man laughed.

Rick nodded to Glenn, not wanting to move his place to expose Grace. They had to be cautious here. They didn't know who these men where and what they would do, especially if they saw a woman. And with all that Grace had been through in the past weeks…

Glenn grabbed a few shot glasses from the bar and poured them some Whiskey.

"I'm Dave." The same man said, sitting back in a chair. "That scrawny looking douche-bag over there is Tony."

"Eat me, Dace." Tony chuckled.

"Maybe one day I will." Dave replied. "We met on the I-95 coming out of Phillie. Damn shit show that was."

"I'm Glenn." He smiled, not looking too concerned over the two men. "It's nice to meet some new people."

"Rick Grimes." Rick introduced.

Dave nodded at the two before looking at Hershel who refused to say or drink anything, "What about you, pal? Not havin' any?"

Hershel shook his head, "I just quit."

"You have a unique sense of timing, my friend." Dave laughed as Tony scoffed.

"This is Hershel." Rick said. "He lost people today. A lot of them."

"I'm truly sorry to hear that." Dave replied quickly. "To better days and new friends. And to our dead. May they be in a better place."

Everyone who had a glass held it up before taking a swing.

"So who ya' hiding back there?" Dave said without missing a beat.

Rick winced unnoticeably but moved away from Hershel, allowing Grace to be seen.

"Well, would ya' look at that, Tony." Dave chuckled. "What's your name, sweetheart?"

"Grace." She answered, not meeting his eyes.

"Not drinking either, babe?" He asked, watching her closely.

"She's not old enough." Glenn answered for her, still showing no mistrust in the two guys. Rick shot him a look.

"I don't think that matters anymore." Dave said, leaning over to grab the bottle to pour some for Grace. By doing so, Rick caught sight of the gun tucked away in his pants. Dave caught his gaze.

"Not bad, huh?" He said, pulling it out. "I got it off some cop."

"I'm a cop." Rick said evenly.

"This one was already dead." Dave said and Rick caught the threat behind his words.

"You fellas' are a long way from Philadelphia." Rick said.

"Feels like we're a long way from anywhere." Dave replied.

"What drove you south?" Rick asked before sipping some of his drink.

"I could tell ya' it wasn't the weather. I dropped thirty pounds from sweatin' alone down here."

"I wish." Tony joked, looking straight at Grace.

"At first it was talk of the refugee camps. But we never even got close. Every group we got to had new rumors about things." Dave explained.

"Group of men told us to head to the coast. Said the army was sending out ferries and things." Tony chimed in.

"Another group said there was a train that was taking people to the middle of the country. Nebraska." Dave finished.

"Nebraska?" Glenn scoffed.

"Hardly no population." Tony said.

"Makes sense." Glenn nodded.

"Have ya' ever been to Nebraska, kid?" Dave asked him. "There's a reason they call it the Flower State."

Rick and Tony chuckled lightly.

"How 'bout you guys?" Dave asked.

"Fort Benning, eventually." Rick replied.

"Hate to piss in your cornflakes officer." Dave said. "But we ran across a group that had been stationed at Benning. Said the place had been overrun by Roamers."

"Fort Benning is gone?" Glenn asked. "You for real?"

"Sadly I am. Ugly truth is, there's no way outta' this mess. But it don't look like you guys are hangin' your hats up here. You hold up somewhere else?"

"Not really." Rick said.

"Those your cars out front?" Dave asked.

"Yeah. Why?" Glenn replied.

"Don't look like ours. Looks empty, clean. Where's all your gear?"

"We're with a larger group. Out scouting, thought we could use a drink." Hershel said.

"A drink? Hershel, I thought you quit?"

When nobody replied, Dave continued, "Well, we're kind of thinking of setting up around here. Is it safe?"

"It can be." Glenn answered. "We, uh, I've killed a couple Walkers around here."

"So, uh so what? You guys set up on the outskirts or something?" Dave asked.

"Trailer park or somethin'?" Tony asked, standing up. "A farm?"

Grace flinched as he walked past her, shooting her a wink. Dave started singing Old McDonald as Tony pulled down his pants and began to pee in the corner. Grace grimaced and turned to face the opposite way. The stench of pee easily overtook the small bar.

"Come on, Tony." Dave said. "We gots a lady in here. Sorry, Grace. See city kids, they got no tact. So back to this farm. Ya' got water and food there?"

"Anymore coos like the one ya' got here?" Tony interrupted. "Haven't had a piece of ass in weeks."

Grace tensed up at the same time Rick stepped in front of her, shielding her.

"Hey, ya' heard the man, Tony." Dave said. "She ain't even old enough to drink."

Tony zipped up his pants and turned around to face the group. He studied their reactions for a moment.

"Aw, ya' can't tell me ain't none of ya'll have put her to some good use." Tony scoffed.

Rick's hand lingered on his gun, "Look we don't want any trouble but you keep talking the way you are and we're going to have some."

Dave shot Tony a look, "Pardon my friend. No disrespect. So please, Glenn-"

"I think we've said enough." Rick said firmly

"Look, we have some bodies back at camp, having a real hard time." Dave said. "I don't see why you can't make room for a few more. We can pull our resources and-"

"Look I'm sorry but that is not an option." Rick interrupted.

Dave shrugged, "Doesn't sound like it'd be a problem."

"I'm sorry, we can't." Hershel cut in.

"We can't take anymore." Rick said.

Dave continued to try and win Rick over, but the man wasn't budging. He wasn't all for taking in a new group. He could barely control his own group as it was. And he didn't know anything about these men and the comments Tony kept making towards Grace only indicated that they were bad news.

Dave hopped behind the bar and set his gun on the counter as he continued to talk. But Grace blocked the conversation out. She was hyperaware of her surroundings; keeping an eye on Tony to make sure he didn't come close to her. Dave grabbed another bottle from behind the counter when Rick mentioned something about Nebraska. Suddenly, a shot rang out, causing Grace to cover her ears. Dave's body dropped down behind the counter as another shot rang out and Tony's body fell as well. Tony had been inching closer and closer to the blonde girl, who was as far against the wall as she possibly could be. So when the bullet struck the man, blood sprayed against the side of her face and arm.

She let out a sob as the thick liquid covered her, looking down at the red in horror.

"You okay, Grace?" Rick asked hoarsely as he looked over Dave's body. She nodded silently, trying to still her cries.

"Holy shit." Glenn breathed out as Rick shot Tony in the head after Grace stepped away from his body to make sure he wouldn't come back as a Walker.

"You're right." Rick said before looking at Hershel. "Hershel…?"

Hershel nods after a moment before saying, "Let's head back."

Glenn grabbed Grace's hand in his own, escorting the shaken girl to the door. A car pulled up though, causing Rick to put a hand on both of their shoulders, forcing them down. Grace could hear people talking from the other side of the door as the group hid under the window but her heart was pounding so loud, she couldn't make out what they were saying.

"Why won't they leave?" Glenn asked.

"Would you?" Came Hershel's quick retort.

The door began to open but Glenn threw his body in front of it, slamming it shut. Rick looked incredibly frustrated as he ran a hand through his sweaty hair.

"Yo', someone in there?" A voice called out. "If someone's in there, we don't want trouble."

"They drew on us!" Rick yelled back.

"Dave and Tony in there?" The voice asked. "They alive?"

"No." Rick answered.

The group outside rushed through their options when one man told them he wasn't leaving to go tell the rest of the group that Dave and Tony had been killed by some assholes in the bar.

"You're friends drew on us!" Rick shouted. "They gave us no choice! I'm sure we've all lost enough people, done things we wished we didn't have to but it's like that now, you know that. So let's just chalk this up to what it was; wrong place, wrong-"

A bullet crushed through the glass above Glenn's head, making them all wince. Suddenly, the entire group began to release gun fire, taking shots at the door and windows.

"Get out of here!" Rick yelled to the others. Glenn grabbed Grace again and pulled her away. He stopped momentarily to grab the rifle from Tony's dead body. A shot rang out again, causing them to duck.

Grace followed after Glenn, trying to keep her footsteps as quiet as possible. Glenn pushed the back door open cautiously, holding up his rifle, ready to shoot if need be. Grace mimicked his actions as they both stepped into what looked like the back storage room for the bar. It was completely silent and she could hear the heavy breathing coming from her friend as sweat poured from his temple. She could feel her own hair sticking to her forehead.

The silence was broken as the doorknob began to twist and turn and a silhouette of a person was framed in the window. They both tensed up at the same time, but Glenn was bolder in his reaction. He lifted his rifle up with the window and shot. The glass crumbled as the bullet made connect but there was no scream of pain to indicate that he had hit his target.

"Glenn! Grace!" Came Rick's voice from the other room.

"We're, uh, we're alright, we're alright!" Glenn replied to the man, his voice as fearful as the expression on his face.

Grace let out the breath she was holding and met his eyes for a minute. He seemed to collect himself briefly, turning around and continuing their trek with more vigor. He looked out the broken window, trying to get view of any of the guys.

Hershel siding up behind them and Grace gave him a tiny smile, the only thing she could muster in this situation. Glenn, on alert, flipped around and held his rifle to Hershel's chest. Grace let out a gasp as Hershel held his hands up, trying to calm the boy. Glenn lowered his gun and laid back against the wall, clearly shaken.

"Rick wants you guys to try for the car." Hershel said evenly.

Glenn looked at Grace, seeing the same terrified expression, "Try?"

"You will try and you will succeed." Hershel said, making eye contact with both of them. "I'll cover you."

"That's a great plan." Glenn remarked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

He looked at Grace but her face was frozen and pale. She looked up to him, tears forming in her light blue eyes.

"I can't-" She choked out.

"Grace, we can do this." Glenn interrupted. His words were confident but on the inside, he was going through the same turmoil as Grace.

"I've got you guys, Grace." Hershel said. "Don't you worry about nothing but getting to that car. Glenn will be with you the whole time."

Glenn nodded quickly, "I won't leave your side, Grace."

Grace looked at them both before nodding her head, still looking petrified. Glenn wiped some stray tears from her cheek and squeezed her hand lightly. This was her first time in one of these situations and she was handling it better than they imagined she would.

Glenn moved behind the door and pushed it open. He held back for a moment, waiting to see if anyone would attack. When nothing happened, he peered around both sides to look for anyone. Not seeing a thing, he turned back to look at Grace. He held eye contact with her for a moment in time, reassuring the younger girl before he gave her a nod.

Grace took off in a crouched sprint towards the car at the same time Glenn did, holding her 10mm pistol to her chest. Hershel stood at the back door, gun ready as he caught sight of one of the misfits running up from behind the pair. The guy began to shoot in their direction and Hershel lined his gun up and fired as well. But it was dark and he wasn't able to nail the guy as quickly as he hoped.

Grace paid no heed to the gunshots behind her, fully trusting in Hershel to protect them. She continued to run towards the car, knowing the group was relying on her and Glenn to make it there. But suddenly Glenn diverged from their path, ducking behind a large, trash bin. If she had listened to her gut, she would have kept running towards the car. But worry and fear that her best friend was hurt made her pause in her advance.

All it took was that moment of hesitation.

Pain struck her like a train in a head-on collision. She could faintly hear a scream emerge from her lips but the pounding of her heart clouded her hearing. Her vision blurred for a second as she stumbled to the ground, unable to keep herself upright. Her hands tried to catch her fall, but her chin slammed against the floor, gravel scrapping the soft skin. She heard another gunshot before she heard her name being yelled over and over again.

A wetness began to coat her face and she realized that a heavy stream of tears were pouring from her eyes.

* * *

"We can't find Lori." Carol said, running up to Daryl's campsite. "And the other's aren't back either."

"That dumb bitch must've gone off lookin' for them." Daryl said, disinterested as he poked at the fire.

"What?" Carol breathed out.

"Yeah, she asked me to go. Told her I was done being an errand boy." Daryl replied.

"And you didn't say anything?" Carol asked, shocked. "Grace isn't back either, Daryl. Something must've happened."

"That's not my problem." Daryl grunted.

Carol studied him for a moment.

"That girl loves you, Daryl." She said, making the man freeze for a minute. "And don't you tell me you don't care for her either."

"That girl is a liar." Daryl bit back, throwing the stick down into the fire and standing up.

"When has Grace ever lied about anything?" Carol asked. "She cares about you. So do I. And I know you care as well."

"Didn't ya' hear me, lady?" Daryl suddenly shouted. "That girl is a liar. She knew about them Walkers in the barn…knew about Sophia. And she didn't tell anyone…she didn't tell me! I was puttin' my life on the line for that girl!"

"She knew?" Carol asked, her voice cracking. "How long?"

Daryl let out an angry breath and sat back down, "Couple days."

Carol let out a shaky breath of her own, "Glenn knew as well. A couple weeks now…look Daryl, they're young. Grace is young. She probably didn't know how to handle something like that. You can't blame her."

"Are ya' seriously defending her?" Daryl growled. "She knew about Sophia and she let us keep believing she was alive."

Carol looked down at her hands, "I think…I think we all let ourselves believe she was alive when we knew she wasn't."

Daryl threw her a disgusted look and refused to reply. She whipped around and began stalking back towards the farm. Her eyes caught on his tent for a moment and she paused. She turned back around, marching up to him.

"Don't do this." She said.

Daryl just stood up again and moved around her, stomping back into the woods.

* * *

"What happened?" Rick whispered harshly as he came up behind Hershel. The older man's face was stark pale.

"They fired." He choked out. "They hit Grace. I don't know where, I just saw her fall. I think they got Glenn as well. He's behind the dumpster, doesn't look like he's moving."

Rick crouched down and headed towards the blonde girl on the floor.

"Grace!" He hushed.

She didn't respond to him but he could see a pool of blood forming on the concrete. He reached her quickly and grabbed her face in his hand, forcing her to look up at him. Her large eyes were full of fear, the piercing blue color standing out against her wet eyelashes. Tears were still pouring from her eyes as she let out quick breaths. She was hyperventilating, Rick realized. He needed to calm her down and quickly. They needed to get out of here.

"Grace, calm down." He whispered, trying to soothe her as he ran a hand through her hair. "You're okay. You're going to be okay. Where'd you get hit?"

But he still got no response as the girl could barely control her breathing. He pulled her body closer to his, flipping her over so he could look for her wound as he cradled her upper body in his lap. The gushing blood from her thigh made it clear that the bullet had struck her there. But it hadn't entered her completely. It had grazed the side of her leg, taking out a chunk of her thigh. He grimaced as he waved Hershel over quickly.

"Grace, honey, look at me." He commanded and she met his eyes once more. "You need to calm down. We're going to get you out of here, Grace. You're going to be okay."

"Am I dying?" Grace cried softly and Rick was reminded of just how young she was.

"You're not dying, sweetheart." Rick soothed. "We're going to get you out of here okay?"

Grace nodded, still refraining from looking down at her leg.

Hershel quickly put pressure on the wound, wanting to stop the blood flow. Rick let the older man tend to her for a second and turned to look towards Glenn. The smaller Asian was huddled against the side of the trash bin, pulling himself tightly into the corner with his gun held up in front of his pale face. He was shaking, staring at Grace with wide, fearful eyes.

"Glenn!" Rick hissed, getting his attention. "You hit?"

The younger boy could only shake his head, not finding any words. This was his fault. If he had just kept running, Grace wouldn't have stopped and gotten shot. They had been relying on him and he had been too scared.

Rick turned back to look at the young girl on the floor. Hershel had tugged his shirt over his head, leaving him just in a wife beater. He tore part of the end off and used it as a tourniquet, tying it around her thigh.

"Grace, honey look at me." Rick said softly again and got the same response as last time. "Do you think you can walk?"

One of her hands came up to brush away her tears, leaving a streak of blood across her cheek. She nodded her head slowly.

"It's alright, okay? The cars just down there. You're almost home." Rick continued. "Everything will be okay."

Rick helped ease her to a standing position, throwing her arm around his shoulders to support some of her weight. They began to edge out from the alley. Hershel and Glenn rushed in front of them, guns at ready. The other group was still lurking around.

A truck pulled up a few feet away from the alley. Rick rushed Grace to the side of the fence, ducking down with Hershel and Glenn. Grace nearly cried out as her wound was stretched by the action. Rick wrapped his hand around her mouth, silencing her as tears began to fall again.

"We gotta' get out of here!" A voice yelled out causing Rick's grip tightened around Grace's waist. "There's roamers all over the place. Hurry up, we gotta' get out of here."

"What about Shaun?" A boy from his place on the roof yelled down at the group.

"There's roamers all over the place, we hafta' leave him." The man yelled back. "Jump, we need to get out of here. Jump, already!"

The boy looked hesitant as he walked to the edge of the building. But then he pushed himself off, trying to land on the lower roof next to it. His feet hit the roof with a heavy thud, but the angle of its position made him slid down. He disappeared from view but his screams could be heard.

He screamed for help but the truck began to pull away.

"I gotta' go, I'm sorry!" And with that they were gone.

More screaming from behind them got Hershel and Glenn's attention. The man that had shot Grace was lying on the floor, injured from Hershel's own shot. A group of Walkers appeared, rushing towards the man. They began tearing away at his face and arm. Hershel shot one of them but it was too late.

Rick passed Grace along to Glenn.

"Get her to the car." He commanded, throwing him the keys as well.

Glenn looked confused for a moment, "Where are you going?"

"Get her to the car." Rick repeated again before taking off.

Glenn let out a frustrated noise before directing Grace to their car. He fumbled to unlock the doors as he maintained his hold on the girl. He pulled open the door and helped her slide into the back seat at the same time Hershel came up besides them.

"Where's Rick?" He asked, looking down at the crying girl.

"He, uh, he ran across." Glenn barely was able to answer him as he brushed some of Grace's hair from her face. It had gotten stuck to the thick blood on her cheek.

"We need to get her back." Hershel said. "But we can't leave without him."

Glenn nodded, and looked down at Grace, "We'll be right back, okay Grace? I'm going to close the door to make sure nothing gets to you, okay? We'll come right back once we get Rick."

"Don't leave me." Grace cried. "Please, please don't leave me."

Glenn swallowed heavily, "I have too, Grace. We have to go get Rick."

"Please, Glenn." She cried again but Glenn just grimaced, clearly having a hard time making the decision. But Hershel began to usher him, leaving him to close Grace's door and lock the car. He could hear her cries as the pair rushed away and out of her sight.

It seemed like eternity to Grace, waiting for the others to get back. She frantically looked out the windows, hoping to catch sight of any of them. She jostled her leg and the pain was overbearing, making her cry out even more. She peered down the alley way they had just come from and was soon filled with fear as she watched some of the Walkers that had been feasting upon the man that shoot her begin to catch sight of her blood trail. They followed it all the way down the alley, moaning and groaning. Some stopped to bend down, licking it up along the floor. Grace felt nausea wash over her and she ambled herself to the other side of the car, away from the Walkers.

She unlocked the door and pushed it open, leaning over just in time to throw up on the gravel rather than the car. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, a foul taste in her mouth. She could hear the frantic screams of Glenn now that the door was opened and looked up to see the Asian running towards the car. He pushed her back inside, sliding into the seat next to her.

She latched onto him the moment he shut the door, burrowing her face in his chest and clinging onto his shirt with her hands. He was still breathing heavily but his hand caught onto the side of her face as the other wrapped around her shoulders.

"I thought you left me here." She cried as Hershel rushed into the front seat.

"I would never, Grace." Glenn said. "Never."

The trunk opened and Grace could hear someone crying in pain as they were pushed into the small space. Grace tilted her head to look up at Glenn in confusion. He just let out a sigh and pressed her face back into his chest.

"Don't worry about it." He whispered.

She gave a small nod as she continued to cling onto her friend, the pain from her leg still making her body shake.

Rick slammed into the driver's seat, grabbed the keys from Glenn and started up the car. He threw it into reverse, swinging the car around before thrusting it into drive and taking off. The rushed movement caused Grace's leg to smash against the back of his seat, making her hiss in pain. Glenn shushed her, running his fingers through her sweat-soaked hair.

Rick grabbed a bandana from the center console before tossing it onto Glenn's lap.

"Tie this around his eyes." He directed, keeping his eyes on the road.

Glenn let go of Grace for a minute, turning around in his seat to look at the boy. He was huddled as tightly as he could with a shirt tied around his wound. His hands were already tied with rope, Rick's doing. The boy looked at Glenn fearfully but he just shook his head and tied it around his eyes so he couldn't see.

He fell back into his seat once he was done and Grace latched onto him not a second after.

* * *

By the time Rick pulled into the barn, the sun was already out. Grace had passed out in the back seat and they didn't know if it was because of fatigue or blood loss. The paleness of her face wasn't settling their nerves. Randall had gone quiet about an hour into the drive so they assumed he had passed out from the pain as well.

Rick shoved open his door and Carl was instantly in front of him, wrapping his arms around his waist. He greeted his child for a second, before pushing him back towards Lori. He turned back around to open the back door, sliding his arm under the back of Grace's knees and pulling her out. His other arm wrapped under her neck, supporting the unconscious girl.

Andrea and Lori let out a gasp as Carol covered her mouth with the back of her hand. Glenn stepped out of the car and Maggie threw herself at him, glad to see him back in one piece. But he didn't respond to her advance, his eyes only focused on Grace, knowing what he had caused.

"Prepare both rooms for surgery." Hershel called out to Patricia, trying to ignore the way Maggie had rushed past him.

Daryl stood next to Carol at the base of the stairs. He watched silently as Rick dragged Grace's body from out of the back seat and lifted her effortlessly into his arms. He watched as the man began walking to the house, ignoring the questions of the people around him as Patricia rushed by him and into the house. He ignored the feeling pooling in his stomach as he saw Grace's blood coated face, her body completely limp in the other man's arm. He ignored Carol as she placed a heavy hand on his shoulder, his eyes only focused on the unconscious girl.

Rick didn't even look at Daryl as he passed by the other man and into the house, Grace's blood getting all over his shirt.

"Glenn, what happened?" Daryl heard Andrea ask the Asian boy.

"Who the hell is that?" T-dog exclaimed loudly, causing the remaining group to look at what he was pointing at. There was a boy, blindfolded in the trunk.

"That's Randall." Glenn answered.

"Glenn, what the hell happened out there?" Shane asked angrily.

The group went silent as they started at the young man who looked quite shaken up.

"Grace was shot." Glenn replied. "By his men."

As Grace's body disappeared into the house, Hershel hurrying after Rick, Daryl suddenly turned around and stormed off into the woods.

* * *

**Author's Note: AHHH, well there ya' go! Hope you all liked it! Please review and things because I love reading your guys' comments! Love you all!**


	17. Baby, Don't You Break My Heart Slow

***IMPORTANT CHRISTMAS CONTEST: **Hey guys, I really wanted to get this out before Christmas but then I got involved in a prank war the night I was writing this chapter and I just finished it today. So SORRY. But as promised, I have a special Christmas gift, or "contest" for all my lovely readers. So this is how the contest will work. I would like for you guys to either review or shoot me a PM with a scenario you would like to see Daryl and Grace in. It could be something completely irrelevant like a trip to Disneyland. ANYTHING YOU WANT. I will give you guys three days to respond for this challenge. At the end of three days, I will write down all the pennames or guest names on a slip of paper and put them in some container and draw out five names. Those will be the scenarios I will write out. I'm planning on writing 1,000-2,000 words each. As some of them might not go with the story at all, I will post it as a one-shot when I post Chapter 18 of this story. I hope this seems fun for all of you! I really want to do something for everyone who reads this story (: Thank you guys so much for the support and I wish I could write out every scenario I get but it would probably take forever haha. So we'll call this the Christmas Contest! Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter! (:

**And I promise I haven't forgotten about posting that thing about what happened when Daryl was torturing the Boss and his goon like a million chapters ago haha. I just honestly don't have a clue what I want to do with it but it will happen eventually haha.**

* * *

**Safe and Sound**

* * *

**Chapter 17: Baby, Don't You Break My Heart Slow**

* * *

_I liked the way you wanted me_

_Every night for so long, baby_

_I liked the way you needed me_

_Every time the things got rocky, yeah_

* * *

"Can I talk to you?" Was the first thing Maggie said as she saw Glenn pass by in the living room.

The Asian boy rubbed at his forehead for a second, staring at the brunette. He hesitantly followed her into the kitchen.

"What's going on with you?" Maggie didn't waste a second before she started her interrogation.

Glenn leaned back against the door frame, letting his head rest against the cool wood.

"Your dad saved my life today." He said, cryptically.

Maggie's shoulder's raised in confusion, not understanding his point.

"And Rick saved all of us." Glenn continued. "and I-I froze."

"Well you were being shot at." Maggie tried to console.

"So was Grace." Glenn said. "And she would've kept going if it wasn't for me."

"You have nothing to prove." Maggie said, taking a step closer.

"All I've done and this!" Glenn suddenly exclaimed causing Maggie to retract. "Grace getting shot because I froze…it was all because of what you said."

"Are you trying to blame this on me?" Maggie asked harshly. "For telling you I loved you?"

"No, no Maggie." He said, shaking his head. "A bullet struck the wall beside my head and I…I thought of you; losing me, hurting. I couldn't take it so I hid. To stay alive."

Maggie felt tears form in her eyes and a smile began to work its way on her face. She genuinely believed she was in love with Glenn. He hadn't said anything back to her when she first told him but hearing him now, she knew he was in love with her. He felt the same worry and pain she felt when she thought about ever being apart from him.

She stepped closer; bringing her hands to his face to draw him in for a kiss. But he grabbed her arms and stopped her, making her smile slip from her face.

"No…No." Glenn sighed. "No. You don't get it. Rick, your dad, Grace…they were counting on me. And I only thought of myself!"

Glenn rubbed as his mouth, tasting stomach acid as he thought of his best friend who could possibly be dying right now all because he had froze up. He walked away from Maggie and out of the house. He needed to get away from everything…it was tearing him apart.

"Maggie, we need you in here!" Maggie heard her father yell from down the hallway. She stared at the place Glenn had just been before letting out the breath she had been holding in. After a moment, she turned around and sped down the hallway towards her father's voice.

She pushed open the door to the room that Grace's unconscious body had occupied. The girl had yet to waken up even though Hershel had already performed surgery on Randall. Now the other boy was knocked out on heavy pain medications and Grace desperately needed more blood. Only problem was no one had any idea what her blood type was and she hadn't woken up at all to let them know.

"We're going to have to stitch her up without any anesthetic." Hershel explained quickly. "Randall used up the last of it. We need someone to hold her down."

Maggie swallowed heavily and looked to Grace's small body. Rick was on the opposite side of the bed holding his head in his hands while Patricia was helping Hershel set up.

"I can't-" Maggie began hesitantly.

There was no way she would be able to hold down Grace if the girl woke up during surgery. She was smaller than Maggie, but not by much. And there was no way Maggie would be able to sit through her screams and cries as she struggled against her.

"I know." Hershel replied.

"We need you to go find Daryl." Rick filled in for him.

"He took off into the woods when ya'll got back." Maggie said. "No one's seen him since."

"Just find him." Hershel said. "We don't have much time. If she loses any more blood she'll go into a coma and there will be nothing we can do then."

Maggie nodded before pushing open the door again and jolting out. She had no idea where the redneck had run off to but she hoped she could find him quickly. She wondered briefly why they couldn't just have Shane help hold her down. But then she quickly discarded that thought. Shane was a monster to her family. Her father didn't want him in their house; that much was clear. But she figured if she didn't find Daryl in ten minutes she would send in Shane. Her father wouldn't start anything with Grace being in her condition.

She quickly spotted Carol hanging up some clothes from a line hooked to two trees. She jogged over to the older woman, who turned around when she heard Maggie coming.

"Have you seen Daryl?" Maggie asked, not bothering with a greeting.

The woman frowned, "Not since Rick and them got back. Why?"

"We ran out of anesthetic." Maggie said quickly. "Rick needs Daryl to help hold Grace down when she's being stitched up."

"Maybe you should find someone else." Carol replied.

Maggie tilted her head, wondering why she would say something like that. Carol let out a sigh when she saw the younger woman's questioning expression.

"They got into an…argument." Carol answered. "They're not on the best of terms right now."

"I think he can set that aside for right now." Maggie said before taking off again. She didn't have time to sit and discuss the pair's problem right now. Grace was in danger and she had to find the man.

She felt God answer her prays when she caught a glimpse of a crossbow along the edge of the woods. She darted off towards it, making it to Daryl just as he disappeared along the trees.

"Hey!" Maggie called out but he didn't stop. "I'm talking to you, asshole!"

That certainly caught his attention and he turned around, scowl on his face.

"What the fuck do ya' want, G.I Jane?" He nearly growled.

Maggie crossed her arms, "My dad and Rick need help with Grace. They sent me to find you."

Daryl studied her for a moment before turning back around, "Go find someone else. She's not my problem."

Suddenly pissed, Maggie marched forward and gripped his shoulder, forcing him around. He pulled away from her touch as if he had been burned, stepping away from the girl. His lips pulled back in a snarl and his eyes narrowed.

"Look here, Dixon." Maggie began. "I don't care what the hell is goin' on between you two. That girl is going to die in there if you don't get your ass inside and help them. Are you seriously goin' to let the only person who truly gives a rat's ass about you die because of some stupid argument?"

"She's not my problem." Daryl annunciated again.

Maggie shoved him as hard as she could, making him fall back a couple steps.

"You get your ass inside and you help the girl you love." Maggie threatened.

She could see the way the man's body tensed up as soon as the word love escaped her mouth. For a moment, he was completely silent and she feared her words only made it worse. But then, it seemed as though something snapped inside him. He dropped the dead squirrel he was carrying and passed by her, almost knocking into her. She turned around to watch him rush towards the farmhouse.

As soon as Daryl entered the room where Grace was laid to rest, he froze. Looking at her unconscious body was almost surreal. He had never seen her so pale and fragile looking…not even the time they had rescued her after she had been kidnapped and tortured. Her blood was all over the sheets, the red contrasting so greatly with the white sheets and her pale skin that it gave him a headache. He felt sick to his stomach as his eyes darted across her face, wishing for her to just open her eyes and tell him this was all a sick joke.

"Daryl." Rick called out, snapping the man out of his trance.

But it wasn't a joke.

"We've ran out of anesthetic." Hershel said. "We need you to hold her down when I stitch her up so she doesn't move. She twitches or something and I'll nick her muscle. She could lose the function of her left leg."

Daryl nodded quickly. He sat down on the bed as Hershel prepared his equipment. He met eyes with Rick for a moment and the man looked at him with a twinge of disappointment. He adverted his eyes to the girl on the bed. He rested a hand against her cheek for a moment. Her skin was clammy and sticky, nothing like its normal smooth warmth. He felt bile raise in the back of his throat as guilt began to eat away at his stomach.

This was his fault.

If he had just listened to Lori and went and found them none of this would have happened. If he hadn't yelled at her…avoided her, maybe she would have stayed behind. Why did she have to go? Did he drive her to this? For some reason, he knew he did. He had caused this. He had gotten her hurt…the girl who had kept him warm at night, listened to him, treated him as though he was a worthy man. The girl who had spoken three words to him that nobody in his entire life had ever come close to saying.

I love you.

But she lied to him. So she must be lying about loving him too. Someone like Grace couldn't possibly be in love with him. She was pure, beautiful, kind and he was scum, redneck trash. It had all been a lie.

* * *

_I was believing in you._

_Was I mistaken?_

_Do you mean,_

_Do you mean what you say?_

* * *

As soon as Hershel plunged the needle into the wound, her blue eyes shot open, a scream escaping from her mouth. She withered, trying to get away from the pain. Rick quickly held down her right side, clamping his strong hands against her exposed thigh and upper arm and leaning over her to lay his body weight against her to hold her down.

But Daryl had frozen as she continued to scream. It was the same scream that had been haunting his dreams since he had first encountered it when she had been brought back from being tortured.

"Daryl!" Rick shouted. "Focus. We need to keep her steady."

Daryl nodded, grabbing her arms and pressing her into the mattress. She tried to pull herself from their grasp as her eyes darted around the room, trying to find the source of pain.

She screamed again and Daryl lifted one hand to grab onto her chin, forcing her to look up at him. Her wild cerulean eyes caught his and widen.

"Daryl?" She breathed out in question.

"I'm here, baby girl." He said, momentarily forgetting his doubts and anger at the sight of her pain and who was in the room with them. "Just look at me, okay?"

"Please, make it stop." She cried as she continued to fight against their hold.

"Hershel needs to fix you up, okay?" Daryl soothed. "Just focus on me."

Grace managed to nod, looking straight into his blue eyes. But she couldn't help it as a scream escaped her lips again as she felt something sharp plunge into her thigh.

"What's happening to me?" She cried in hysterics. Sweat began to pool at her hairline.

"Grace, do you remember what happened?" Rick cut in.

Grace looked over at the other man holding her down and froze for a moment, trying to recall.

She had been shot. They had been retrieving Hershel and another group had come into the bar and started problems.

She nodded slowly before squeezing her eyes shut as another wave of pain hit her.

"You got nipped on the side with a bullet." Rick explained further. "Hershel's fixing you up but you need to stay real still, okay?"

"What's he doing to me?" Grace gasped as pain struck her again.

"Don't worry 'bout it." Daryl grunted. "Just focus on me."

Grace couldn't respond to his words as another scream lashed out from her throat as the needle was plunged through her wound. Sweat began to drip into her eyes and Daryl picked up the rag on the bedside table and began to clean off her face. She brought her hand up to hold onto the wrist of the arm that was holding her down by her upper arm. She latched onto it, nails digging into his skin.

Suddenly Glenn burst into the room, his face pale as he looked down at Grace. He couldn't stand hearing her screams knowing he was the reason she was going through the pain. So he had come to help…in anyway Hershel would let him. He needed to help.

"Grace, do you know your blood type?" Hershel asked as he continued to stitch up her exposed muscle.

Grace didn't answer his question as her face suddenly lost all its color and she began to gasp for air, "I think I'm goin-"

"Glenn, grab that bucket!" Rick commanded.

Glenn caught onto the situation, grabbing a tin bucket from the corner and rushing to Grace's side. Daryl helped lift her upper body enough so she could tilt her head and throw up in the bucket. He gathered her long hair in his other hand, pulling it away from her face as he looked away with a grimace.

Glenn looked as though he was going to puke himself.

As soon as she was done, she collapsed back onto the bed. Daryl used the same rag to wipe around her mouth.

"Grace, can you tell us your blood type?" Hershel repeated.

"B Positive." She groaned as her back slightly arched off the bed as she whimpered in pain.

Rick pushed her back down again.

"Grace, you really have to stay still for Hershel." He directed.

"What did I say, girl?" Daryl asked. "Focus on me."

She finally looked back up into his eyes, holding his gaze.

"Glenn, go ask around and see if anyone has the same blood type." Hershel said.

Glenn nodded quickly, eager to do anything to help his friend.

"Daryl, please make it stop." Grace begged causing the man to frown.

"Just relax. You're almost done." Daryl lied. Truthfully, Hershel wasn't even half way through.

"Why do you need to know my blood type?" Grace continued to cry.

"You've lost too much blood." Hershel answered. "We need to get a transfusion started or you'll fall into a coma."

Grace's cries began to increase at the news and Daryl turned his head to glare harshly at Hershel. The old man ignored the fire Daryl was shooting at him and continued to stitch.

Daryl ran a hand through her hair again before stroking her cheek. She still continued to stare into his eyes.

"You're going to be just fine, Grace." He said, tenderly.

Rick stared at the other man who ignored him. This was a whole new side of Daryl he had never seen…

Glenn entered the room again; Carol coming in right behind him.

"I found a match." He announced and Hershel let out a sigh of relief.

"Patricia, can you start on that?" Hershel asked the woman next to him who quickly nodded.

"See, baby girl." Daryl said. "Carol's here to help you. You're going to be just fine."

Grace began to nod but suddenly her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Daryl felt a surge of panic enter his body as her small form began to shake heavily.

"She's having a seizure!" Hershel yelled out. "Hold her down!"

Daryl leaned his body over her's similar to Rick and they both managed to keep the girl as steady as they could while Hershel continued to stitch her up.

"Patricia, you've got to hurry." Hershel said. "She needs blood now."

The blonde lady nodded as she continued to draw blood from Carol. Once she filled a blood bag, she gently nudged Rick off the girl's arm. She grabbed one of the needles but paused as the tip barely brushed her skin.

"Just like I've shown you, Patricia." Hershel said.

He had done all of the transfusions with Carl and she was still hesitant. But she managed to focus and hit one of Grace's veins. She set everything up and as the blood began to drain into the girl's body, she stopped her shaking. Everyone let out a breath of relief.

Now that Grace had passed out from the pain, Hershel could work on her wound without having to worry about her moving. His pace quickened, eager to finish. Once he was done the room let out a collective breath of relief. Patricia had gathered another bag of blood from the frail Carol before Glenn escorted the grey-haired lady out of the room to get some food to eat. The blood from the first bag had already been drained into the unconscious girl's body and Hershel discarded it before setting up the other one.

He quickly checked over her blood pressure and heart rate.

"She's stable for now." He announced.

Daryl let go of the hand he was holding, suddenly feeling incredibly claustrophobic. He stood up, ignoring the questioning stare of Rick. He made to leave the room but Glenn stopped him for a moment.

"Daryl, don't you think you should stay?" Glenn asked. "Grace would want to see you when she wakes up."

"I don't care." Daryl all but grumbled as he stormed out of the room, anger back in his system. He was soon out of the house and back in the woods where he could relieve his anger on the unsuspecting wildlife.

* * *

_I'd rather hear the truth_

_Than have to say goodbye_

_I'd rather take a blow_

_At least then I would know_

_But Baby, don't you break my heart slow_

* * *

_Rick's group stood in a huddle around Sophia's grave as Hershel and his family mourned the loss of Hershel's wife and son. _

"_Grace," Lori called out. "Do you mind saying a few funeral prayers like last time?"_

_Grace's blue eyes caught onto Daryl, who was standing farther away from the group amongst the line of trees. She wanted nothing more than to go to him and just hold him against her. She needed to feel his touch, to run her hands against his skin, but the look on his face clearly expressed that he wanted nothing to do with her. But she wouldn't focus on him right now. This moment was about the three beautiful people they had lost today._

_Grace stepped away from Glenn for a moment._

"_Father of all, we pray for those whom we love, but see no longer. Grant them your peace; let light perpetual shine upon them; and in your loving wisdom and almighty power work in them the good purpose of your perfect will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." (Methodist Worship Book)_

"_Amen." The religious people of the group chimed._

"_Lord God, ever caring and gentle. We commit to your love this little one, quickened to life for so short a time. Enfold her in eternal life. We pray for her mother, who is saddened by the loss of their child. Give her courage and help them in her pain and grief. May they meet again one day in the joy and peace of your kingdom. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen." (Order of Christian Funerals)_

"_Amen." A chorus of people repeated. _

_When Grace stepped back, Rick cut in, "Does anyone have any words for the people we lost today?"_

_Dale cleared his throat and stepped forward, "Sophia was just a child, a child who had to endure many troubles in her life even before any of this happened. I only pray now that she has peace and serenity wherever she might be."_

_When no one else stepped forward to say anything, the group was covered in silence besides the occasionally sniffling or cry. There wasn't much to say. Sophia had died, taking a piece of everyone in the group with her. _

_Grace stepped back into Glenn, letting him wrap his arms around her shoulders and linking them together under her chin. She was happy that she had someone to rely on right now, not even sure she could stand on her own. But her eyes glazed over to the woods again but Daryl was missing._

_She only wished that he was here right now, holding her in his warm embrace._

* * *

When Grace awoke the next day, she was overcome in pain. She could feel someone holding her hand and she turned her head to catch the sight of Glenn. He gave her a sad smile before reaching over to grab two pills and a glass of water on the bedside stand.

"Hershel says to take these for the pain." He explained.

Grace nodded, her throat to dry to speak and took the pills from his hand. She swallowed them easily and washed them down with a gulp of water.

"Daryl?" She asked hesitantly, not able to form any other words as her brain pounded in her head.

Glenn looked away from her gaze, cheeks turning red.

"Haven't seen him." He lied.

Grace bit her bottom lip and tilted her head down.

"Grace, what happened between you two?" He finally asked.

Grace let out some breath, "I told him about Sophia and the Walkers and how I knew. He got mad…and I-I told him I love him."

Glenn felt his eyes widen in shock, "Do you? I mean, do you really love Daryl?"

Grace's head suddenly snapped up, eyes narrowed, "I wouldn't say it unless I meant it."

Glenn held up both hands in a surrender, easing her anger.

"And he didn't say anything back?" He asked.

"He just walked away." Grace sighed, staring out the window.

Glenn was trying to figure out something to say to his friend when Carol stepped in the room, rubbing her hands on a rag.

"Hershel heard you talking." Carol said. "Said that you should probably take a bath, get all the dirt and blood off you so you don't catch an infection. He sent me to help."

Glenn took that as his cue to leave. He grabbed Grace's small hand in his own and squeezed it.

"I'm glad you're awake, Grace." He said. "We'll talk later."

Grace gave him a half-hearted smile as Carol moved to the other side of the bed and helped her stand up. She balanced on one leg, not sure if she could put any pressure on the other. The pair hobbled out of the room and across the hallway to the bathroom. Carol sat the blonde down on the toilet before dropping to her knees to start up the bath. She let some water run through her fingers before she decided it was warm enough and put the plug in the drain.

She turned around to look at Grace, who was staring down at her hands, wringing them nervously.

"Hershel doesn't want you moving around too much." Carol said. "I'll help you wash your hair."

Grace nodded at her silently before her cheeks turned bright red as Carol reached for her shirt. She pushed the older woman's hands away in embarrassment. Carol caught the look on her face and let out a little laugh.

"You don't have to be shy around me, Grace." She smiled gently. The girl's modesty and shyness reminded her of Sophia. She quickly pushed those thoughts away, not eager to start crying right now.

Grace nodded again but still made no move to change.

"I'll turn around when you take your shirt off but you have to let me help you with your shorts." Carol said before turning around to face the door.

She heard movement from behind before the dirty tank-top and bra fell to the floor. Grace gave her a meek "ready" and Carol turned around to see her back. She put her hands on the waistband of her shorts and helped her get them off her legs without aggravating the wound.

"You can keep your underwear on." Carol said.

The blonde crossed her arms over her chest, hiding it from view and with Carol's help, stepped into the tub. She sunk down into the water, drawing her legs to her chest and wrapping her arms around herself.

"Make sure not to touch your stitches." Carol directed.

She sat on the edge of the tub and began to wet Grace's hair. Once her long strands were drenched, she squeezed shampoo into her palm and began to massage it through the girl's scalp. Grace felt herself relax at Carol's motherly touch. Carol made light conversation as she washed the soap out of Grace's hair before handing the girl a rag to wash the blood off her arms and legs. By the time Grace was finished, the water was entirely a dark brownish red.

Carol pulled the plug out and let the water run down the drain before directing Grace to stand up. She turned on the accompanying shower and rinsed the girl before grabbing a towel and wrapping it around her shaking body.

"Stay here while I get you some clothes." Carol said before leaving Grace standing in the middle of the bathroom with just a towel on.

* * *

"_You knew!" Shane barked at Hershel as everyone began to leave from the barn, bodies of Walkers littering the floor._

"_I knew nothing." Hershel replied, not turning around to look at the man creeping up on his family behind him._

"_Not now, Shane." Rick said lowly, trying to get his friend to back down._

"_No, Rick." Shane yelled. "I won't step back any longer. This man knew Sophia was in the barn this whole time and let us send men out there risking their lives looking for her!"_

_Hershel finally whirled around, his family stopping in their pursuit for their home, "For the last time, I didn't know she was in there!"_

"_Well then who put her in there?" Shane shouted. "It sure as hell wasn't any of us."_

_Hershel glanced at his family for a moment, "Look, it was Otis who use to put them in the barn."_

"_Otis was dead when she went missing." Shane growled with no remorse._

_The group was filled with silence as Hershel's family looked at each other. Finally Jimmy cleared his throat and took a hesitant step forward._

"_It was me." He said so quietly they almost missed what he said. _

_Suddenly Shane barreled towards the kid only to have Rick push him back._

"_Shane, calm down." Rick screeched. _

"_That kid knew, Rick!" Shane yelled. "He knew and he let us go out there every day looking for her!"_

"_I didn't know it was her!" Jimmy cried. _

"_The hell you didn't!" Shane yelled back. _

"_I just…I wanted to make Otis proud." Jimmy said softly. "He was always so adamant about puttin' them in there and I just-"_

"_And you didn't think to tell us when you found her?" Shane snapped._

"_Shane, stop it." Rick commanded but it fell on deaf ears._

"_No Rick, not this time." Shane snapped. "The kid even went lookin' with us and he knew she was dead this whole time."_

"_I couldn't tell you!" Jimmy suddenly screeched. "I couldn't tell any of you because then you would have found out about the barn and Hershel would have made you leave!"_

_Maggie took a hold of her sister as the news almost made her collapse from shock. Patricia held a hand over her mouth, tears forming in her eyes while Hershel was perfectly stoic._

"_And why the hell would you care?" Shane yelled. "Ya'll didn't want us around from day one."_

"_Because…because," Jimmy began. "You guys knew more about them things. You knew how to fight them, how to control them, how to deal with them. I wanted to learn how to shoot and how to defend us. I wanted to learn how to protect Beth."_

_The girl in question let out a tiny sob, clinging onto her sister._

"_So you kept Sophia in a barn until you got what we needed out of you?" Shane shouted. "And then what? Were you ever going to tell us?"_

"_Shane, now is not the time for this." Rick reasoned, looking over the faces of the grieving people._

"_I don't know." Jimmy cried, truthfully. In reality, he hadn't even thought that far. All he wanted was to protect Beth. To learn how to live in this new world and keep her safe. That's all he wanted. _

_Shane rushed towards the younger boy again only to have both Rick and T-dog push him back into his place._

"_Now is not the time for this." Rick repeated with more conviction._

_Shane suddenly inverted his gaze to Rick, murderous anger._

"_Yeah, it's never the time for this, right?" He bit sarcastically before storming away. _

_Rick ran a hand down is face is frustration as he watched his best friend disappear along the edge of the trees._

* * *

Daryl bit back a grimace as he stuck his knife right in the center of a dead squirrel and began to cut it down the middle. Once a thin cut was made, he pulled back the skin and began to sort through the insides of the animal. His fingers were stained with red, blood getting underneath his nails. Normally he was more careful when he was skinning his catches, not wasting any meat that could be cooked. But with his hyped up nerves and anger, he was tearing about the thing as though it was his worst enemy.

And he continued to tear it up, tossing parts that he didn't want on the floor around him and behind his back. He was breathing heavily, his stomach clenching every time he sunk in air before jutting back out as he released it in one harsh, sporadic movement.

Focus on the squirrel.

Focus on the squirrel.

Focus on the squirrel.

Suddenly he tossed the animal's dead body, blood and guts spraying in every direction as the thing flew overhead and dropped fifteen feet away. He sat back down on the tree stump, holding his head in his hands not caring that he was getting blood in his hair and on his forehead.

He couldn't continue like this.

There was no way he would last in this world if he couldn't even focus while cutting up a squirrel. His thoughts were plagued with her. With the image of her smile as she stared up at him after listening to him tell one of his stories about Merle, the way she would run her hands through his hair when she would wake up in the middle of the night, how she never judged him when he opened up to her, how all it took was the sight of her face to calm him down…

But she had lied to him, just like his pa' use to…just like Merle use to. She lied to him so how could he possibly trust her now? How could he believe anything that had happened between them was real? Maybe his pa' was right. 'Ain't no woman gonna' ever love a fuck like you.' And maybe his brother had been right as well. 'Dixon's aren't made for love.'

He had been an idiot trying to believe that Grace had changed any of that. He had been so stupid to possibly think a girl like Grace could ever, ever want a man like him. She was just like the rest of the women he had ever encountered. Manipulative. This whole thing had probably been a game to her while to Daryl, it was one of the best things he had ever had in his life.

So where did he go from here?

He couldn't continue on like this. He needed to feel her smooth skin, needed to brush his lips against her own warm ones, needed to hear her laugh and watch her smile. She was his drug and he had a bad case of addiction. But he couldn't forgive her for this. Not when she had been playing him along this whole time. He wouldn't be able to forget this. So where did he go from here?

* * *

_I liked the way you'd hold me._

_Every night for so long, baby._

_Do you say,_

_Do you say what you mean?_

* * *

Lori slowly pushed the door open to the room Grace was staying in, wanting to be as quiet as possible. She peeked her head through the door and when she saw the blonde girl awake, staring out the window, she entered the room. She closed the door behind her and sat down in the chair next to the bed.

"Grace." She greeted when the girl didn't even notice her presence.

Whatever trance she was in broke the moment Lori's voice covered the room.

"How's Carl?" Was the first thing Grace asked. Sophia had been Carl's friend and it was never easy for a child to deal with the loss of that.

"Getting by." Lori sighed. "He keeps telling me that he thought he would be the one who saved her. But he knows what his dad did was right."

Grace looked down at her hands that were playing with a loose string on the blanket, "She's with God now."

Lori nodded her head, "But I didn't come in here to talk about Carl."

Grace's head shot up, looking at the older woman with a questioning glance.

"I'm pregnant." Lori confessed.

The girl's eyes widened at the news.

"Does everyone know?" She asked.

"Now they do." Lori said. "Shane sort of blurted it out when I came back after going after you guys that night."

"You came after us?"

"It was taking you guys longer than Rick said it would." Lori replied. "I was worried about Rick. I wanted him home. So I went looking for you guys."

"Oh Lori, is that how you got hurt?" Grace asked, looking at the wound on her forehead. "You shouldn't worry so much about Rick. He's a smart man. He got us out of there."

Lori looked out the window, "Yeah, well when you're in love you always worry."

Grace bit her lip as her mind instantly went to Daryl. Before she could delve too long in those thoughts, Lori began talking again.

"But this isn't about that." Lori said. "I just wanted to talk to you about the baby…to make sure I'm making the right decision to bring it into this world."

"Lori, I don't think-" Grace began. The younger girl didn't feel as though she had any advice for the woman in this situation. She couldn't imagine being pregnant in a time like this and she had never raised a kid so what would she know about having a baby?

"Grace, I was a very religious lady before all this happened." Lori said. "And when I got pregnant with Carl I went to our church to have our Priest bless him before he was even born. When I was there I talked to him about my concerns over being a mother. And he helped me face my worries and give me courage. I guess I just need something like that right now and you're the closest thing I've got."

"So you want me to bless the baby?" Grace asked.

Lori looked into her light blue eyes and nodded.

"I can do that." Grace said before clearing her throat to start one of the prayers her father had taught her for protection.

She grabbed onto Lori's hand before she started the prayer.

"Grant, O Lord, this new life protection. And in protection, strength. And in understanding, knowledge. And in knowledge, the knowledge of justice. And in the knowledge of justice, the love of it. And in the love of it, the love of all existences. And in that love, the love of spirit and all creation."

"Amen." Both girls chanted.

Lori stood up once she was done, knowing Hershel wanted Grace to rest.

"Thank you, Grace." She said. "I just didn't know-"

"Lori, pregnancy is a blessing in itself." Grace cut in. "If God allowed you to carry one of his children in you, then he believes that you can bring it into this world. Don't doubt His plans. Just trust that He will lead you in the right direction."

Lori nodded, not able to form any words for the girl. But she did feel more at ease with her situation. Maybe Grace was right. God had a plan for her and this baby was a part of it. She left the room quietly, forgetting to close the door behind her. She was so focused on her thoughts that she nearly jumped in surprise when she saw Daryl pass by her in the hallway. She turned to follow him with her eyes and frowned when she saw him enter Grace's room. But she would leave them alone for now. She had other things to worry about.

* * *

"Didn't I tell ya' to stop with all that Jesus bullshit." Daryl grunted.

Grace's head rose in surprise to see him leaning against the doorframe.

"Daryl?" She breathed out.

"Shut up." He growled, turning around to shut the door behind him. He locked the door before meeting Grace's gaze again.

"Daryl, I never-" Grace began, eager for the man to listen to her pleas. She wanted to explain everything again with him listening this time. She wanted him to know how much she cared about him and how she never meant to hurt him. But she was met with the same response.

"I said shut up." He hissed before moving towards her.

Grace looked up at him questioning but all those questions and thoughts fled from her mind the moment his body pressed against hers, being extra careful not to touch her wounded leg. His lips melted against hers, a sensation she felt so deprived of that she let out a soft moan the instant they collided. The hand that wasn't holding up his body weight ran down the side of her face, tenderly brushing against her soft skin.

He was being far gentler with her than he normally was.

Daryl was scared to hurt her. He had come in here to relieve himself from thinking about her. He needed to focus on surviving and he couldn't do that if all he thought about was kissing her and holding her. So he decided from now on that's what he would do. He would go to her and act out his desires. But he wouldn't talk to her, wouldn't hold her afterwards. He wouldn't let her get close again. He was doing this to survive. So he could get his mind focused when he was out there trying to live. But he was not going to let her in again.

His lips left her lips to make a trail down her chin to her neck.

"Daryl?" Grace couldn't help but question again. Was he trying to tell her that he wasn't upset with her anymore? That he accepted her confession that she loved him?

"Don't talk." He grunted against her flesh, sending a shiver down her spine.

Daryl had never been good with his words, never comfortable enough. So maybe this was his way of telling her that everything would be okay between them. Maybe this was his way of telling her that he cared for her just like she cared for him. With those thoughts, she gave into his advances, letting him suck on the sensitive skin on her neck as he ran his hand up and down her side.

When his lips caught hers again she let him explore her mouth with his tongue, caressing her own. She let him grasp onto her silky strands, pulling and tugging on them every time she moved under him or kissed him in a way that he liked. She let him kiss every inch of her face, let him mold his hands into her flesh and run his tongue down her collarbone. Because she thought this was his way of telling her that he loved her back.

But then he had pulled away, kissing her lips one more time before he stood up, ignoring her confused questions and left the room without another glance in her direction. He shut the door behind him and she could hear his footsteps down the hall before they faded away.

And that was when she realized.

He didn't love her and everything wasn't alright between the two of them. He had used her and she had let him. Because she loved him and she needed him. She needed to feel him, needed to have his presence around her. But he didn't love her back. And he didn't forgive her. He had used her and she had let him.

Her head collapsed against the pillows as a flood of tears escaped her eyes. It felt hard to breath, every intake of air just as painful as the next. A bitter taste rose in her mouth as her stomach muscle coiled up and never released. Was this was heartbreak felt like? Every time a girl cried over a boy in a movie was this what they were feeling? It literally felt like Daryl had wrapped his hand around her heart and just squeezed until the life drained from it.

He had used her and she had let him.

And if he came in here again and did the same thing, she would let him.

Because she loved him.

Because she needed him.

But he didn't love her back.

* * *

_You'd run around and lead me on forever,_

_While I stay at home_

_Still thinking we're together._

_I want our love to last forever._

_But I'd rather you be mean than love and lie._

_I'd rather hear the truth…_

_Than have to say good-bye._

_And I'd rather take a blow because at least then I would know._

_But Baby, don't you break my heart slow._

* * *

**Author's Note: So just to make this clear, they did not sleep together. I realize it might come off as that but it was just a heavy make-out sesh haha. Thanks for reading and I hope you drop a review! (: **

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**Love you all!**


	18. Am I Ready for Love?

***HOLY SHIT GUYZ. I've been gone for sooo freakin' long, I know I know. If you want to hear excuses, 'cause that's all I got, I'll be honest. I kinda lost inspiration for this story. I honestly had no idea which direction I wanted to take this in, how it would end, where it would go. BUT AFTER SEVERAL LONG MONTHS. I'm back on track. I'm sad to say that this story will be ending in about 3-5 chapters. BUT, I already had the beginnings of a sequel working it's way into my head, so don't fret. **

**And I really just want to thank you all for reading, reviewing, favorite-ing, following. You guys are straight up awesome. Seriously. I seriously love each and everyone of you. And thank you for being so patient with me. Anyways, this chapter is sooo short compared to the previous ones. But I felt I had to get something out there for you guys, so here it is. Hopefully the next update wont take 3+ months ;)**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY!**

**Oh. and if you have an instagram, follow me! I'll follow all of you back! Username: atomickilljoy_tina**

**Thanks again and I love you all!**

* * *

**Safe and Sound**

* * *

**Chapter 18: Am I Ready for Love?**

* * *

Before the word "no" could slip from her mouth he was already tugging on her shirt, nearly ripping it as he pulled it over her head. She felt the stale air capture her skin just as his lips did, but for once, her mind was blank. She was in her own tent now, a luxury provided by Beth's old camping gear. Her leg was almost healed up from the bullet's graze, stiches out and now just a bandage to soak up any excess blood and keep out bacteria. Randall hadn't been dealt with since the time Rick and Shane tried to get rid of him (only to come back looking beaten up in a way that she knew the Walkers had not been involved in). Things were tense around the campsite to say the least and it had only been a week since the group had returned from getting Hershel.

Daryl's calloused hand grazing the sensitive skin of her breast pulled her out of her thoughts. A flash of panic rushed through her only to disperse when she realized she still had on her bra and jeans. He never went any farther than this, which surprised her slightly because she never stopped him from continuing. But he knew. He always seemed to know where her limit was.

He never really spoke to her, only the occasion grunt inquiring how her leg was doing. At the beginning, that was a sure tell sign that he still cared about her. But as the days passed, she wasn't so sure anymore. But she loved him in a way that she knew she could never push him away. And she could never do without the feeling of his skin against her's, the way his arm encased her in a protective cage at night, the way he seemed to dote over her without actually speaking to her (making sure Hershel checked her wounds, getting her share of food for her, telling Carl to scram when the kid would stay in her tent for hours on end just jabbering away). She needed Daryl, in a sick, demented way. She was attached to him.

It didn't take long for the others to pick up on it. But it was always the same conversation; little, innocent, inexperienced Grace who had gotten way in over her head with a ruined man. It used to bother her when she heard Lori sprouting off her opinions to anyone who would listen right outside of her tent, as if she wanted the girl to hear. But lately, Grace's thoughts were just so jumbled up that everything that passed by was some sort of daze. Things she had been so sure of now just seemed like a bunch of lies and misconceptions.

She supposed she would snap out of it soon enough. She told herself it was the medicine but deep down inside, she knew she was just growing up. Or maybe she wasn't growing up. Maybe it was the exact opposite. Maybe she was just being more immature than before.

Daryl's lips caught her's finally and she kissed him back with vigor.

Her love for him was the only thing she was sure of.

And maybe, she could make him love her back.

* * *

Blink. Smile. Breath. Repeat.

Grace had become quite a great actor about two days into her recovery when she had gotten tired of all the questions.

"Are you okay?" "Do you need anything?" "How are you doing?"

With her cycle newly planted in her body, she took a sip of her water as she glanced at Beth from under her eyelashes. In the back of her mind, she felt guilty for the lack of presence she provided for the girl. They had become friends in the week she had spent here on the farm mainly because they had been around the same age. But now, Grace was silent and withdrawn, just as she had been since she returned. But every day they got together around this time, for Bible Study, Hershel said. But Beth rarely read, more attuned to talking instead. And Grace was usually the same, but lately all she did was read.

Looking for answers in the text she had dedicated her life to. But it provided her little more than that she was supposed to fulfill her husband's needs, cater to him and bear his children. Daryl wasn't her husband though, and they didn't live in a world that was suitable for such things. So where did that leave her?

She looked back up at Beth. Her blonde hair hung down to cover most of her face, brows furrowed as she pretended to read but she felt the other girl's stare.

"When did Jimmy first tell you he loved you?" Grace asked, breaking the silence abruptly.

Beth slammed her bible closed, looking quite eager to do anything but read it. She brushed her hair behind her ears before answering.

"A couple weeks into our relationship." She answered. "Why?"

Grace shrugged, closing her own book. She knew where she wanted this conversation to go and God had no part in it. She felt guilty as she pushed the bible away, a frown eating at her face. In a sense, it felt like she was turning her back on God. But she knew she wasn't. She was still as devoted as ever.

But this had nothing to do with God.

But everything to do with a certain hunter.

"How far had you gone with him?" She asked, her cheeks turning a light pink.

Beth gave her a questioning look, but the younger girl liked gossiping as much as any sixteen year old, "A couple hand jobs. I gave him a blow job once, in the back of the barn. He seemed to like it, but it was kinda gross, if ya' ask me. He told me he loved me a few days after that."

A light went off in her head as her expression melted into something akin to hope. Beth must've taken it differently though.

"Look, I knew you're super religious and everything." Beth said. "But me and Jimmy go to church too. The bible says nothing about touchin' each other and doing other things, just as long as ya' don't have sex till you're married, right?"

"I guess so." Grace murmured, her thoughts elsewhere now.

The bible didn't specifically say you couldn't touch other people. But she remembered a time back when she was fourteen. Her mother had caught her kissing this boy Johnny in the backyard. She dragged Grace back inside to her father who spanked her until she couldn't even sit down for a few days without it hurting. He had told her that she wasn't to kiss or date a boy until she was sixteen. Which, looking back now wasn't unreasonable or anything. And then he had given her a whole lecture about how she was to remain pure and keep her virtue for her husband. So wouldn't touching Daryl in certain places mean she wasn't pure anymore? And what would God do to her when he found out she wasn't pure?

She glanced up at Beth who was now playing with a loose string on her sleeve. Grace didn't think Beth was going to hell for touching Jimmy. And she didn't think Jimmy was going to hell either. So why would she go to hell for doing the same thing?

Her head hurt. She wasn't use to thinking so much. All the answers were supposed to be in the Bible. So why weren't they?

* * *

Rick let out a long breath as he rested his forearms against the rickety, wooden fence. His hair was sticking to his forehead with sweat and it dripped down his face and neck to create a tiny pool on top of his collarbone. His eyes caught a rabbit running across the field as the grass swayed gently in the breeze. The scene looked normal as anything. The bright blue sky, a shining sun, white clouds, trees, grass. But he knew of the dangers lurking just beyond the trees.

Two arms wrapped around his waist and looking down, he recognized Lori's cracked, worn fingernails. She rested her head against his back, in the middle of his shoulder blades. Rick used to be comforted by the gesture, and he still felt some tension leave him, but it just wasn't like it used to be. Their relationship was different. And it would always be different.

"What are you thinking?" Lori asked.

Rick cracked his neck before leaning back into her embrace.

It was quiet for a few moments before he answered.

"Randall."

Lori let out her own sigh before unwrapping her arms from around him. She stepped into the spot next to him, gripping the fence so hard her knuckles turned white. Rick looked over her face, remembering each detail that made him fall in love with her. Her strong jawline, her determined eyes, the way the ends of her lips curved up ever so slightly. She was beautiful. She still was beautiful. And he still loved her. He loved everything about her. But her betrayal was weighing him down heavily. That coupled with the question of whether or not he was the real father of the baby growing inside her.

"Shane wants him dead." Lori said.

"I know what Shane wants." Rick nearly growled. "But if we kill him, what does that say about us? What is that going to teach Carl?"

"He's a danger, Rick." Lori rebutted. "To everyone."

"I know that." Rick stressed. "So that's it? You're with Shane?"

"I'm not saying that, Rick." Lori said, setting her jaw at his tone.

Rick let his head drop down to his chin, his arms flexing with stress. His anger dissipated as Lori's hand crept up his back, resting on his neck where she began to massage the tense muscles.

"You'll figure it out, Rick." She comforted. "You always do."

The conversation died out again and the silence settled in. Rick wasn't sure he knew what to do anymore. These people were relying on him to keep them alive. He didn't realize what he had gotten himself into when he took on the role of the leader. He had thought this all would be over by now. The military would clean up the streets and refugee camps would be set up. But it seemed like everyone had just disappeared off the face of the earth, leaving him and his group alone with these monsters. Some days he wondered if it would be easier to just scoop up Lori and Carl and take off on their own. It would be easier to stay alive, not that many mouths to feed. But he had grown close with these people, despite Shane and his friendship collapsing. And he wasn't about to leave them to fend for themselves. They were innocent civilians. Him and Shane were the only ones with training and it was their duty, regardless of the fact that he wasn't actually a police officer anymore, to save all those that they could.

Movement farther in the trees caught his eyes and he looked up to see Daryl's figure disappearing along the horizon.

"Where's Daryl going?" He asked.

"Probably off hunting." Lori replied, disdain in her voice.

"Didn't he just go yesterday?" Rick asked.

He remembered Daryl bringing back a whole line of squirrels and rabbits.

Lori shrugged, "He's been restless lately. You know it has something to do with Grace."

"Their relationship is none of our business, Lori." Rick said cautiously.

Lori's face shriveled up, "But don't you ever wonder how they even got together? Daryl didn't talk to anyone really. And all of a sudden, he's looking out for her like she's his…well who knows."

"Grace and Daryl are both adults." Rick stressed. "Whatever happened between them is their business."

"You don't think it's weird how she latches on to him?" Lori questioned, not dropping the matter like Rick wanted.

"It's been rough, Lori." Rick said. "You know how people act in traumatic situations."

Lori looked unconvinced, "Look all I'm saying is the girl's parents died, right. I'm pretty sure I remember her saying how she had to kill her own mom. And she never really grieved over them. Didn't even bat an eye really about talking of it. Remember how Andrea was after she had to kill her own sister? And Grace is still a teenager; she should be even more caught up on the fact-"

"Are you condemning her for moving on?" Rick butted in. "There isn't much time to grieve right now. Everybody has lost someone. But you just gotta' keep going or you'll die, Lori. Maybe she figured that out. I don't think anyone really gives that girl enough credit. She ain't as weak as she seems."

"All I'm saying is it's weird how fast she moved on. She wasn't really all that upset about it in the first place. And then she latches on to Daryl, almost like how Carol was with her husband. There's something wrong with that girl." Lori said.

Rick rubbed his forehead. He was stressed out enough about the whole Randall situation. He didn't need to be thinking about Grace's mental issues. Sure the girl might be strange and sheltered. But he didn't think she was psychotic like Lori was implying.

He let out the breath he was holding.

He had better things to think about.

* * *

"What's this one?" Glenn asked, his finger grazing over a picture of a baby Maggie dressed up in a flower costume.

Him and Maggie were currently sitting on the bed in her room, flipping through an old photo album she had found in the attic.

"That was my first Halloween." Maggie chuckled, looking over the picture. "Dad always told me it was a pain in the ass to get me into that costume."

Glenn's face melted into a smile as he looked up to watch Maggie. Her own face shined with a wide smile as she was probably thinking about distant memories.

"What about this one?" Glenn asked, bringing her out of her stupor.

It was a picture of a ten year old Maggie, covering her face as some lady was cutting her hair in the kitchen.

"That was the time Beth got gum stuck in my hair and we had to cut it out." She said. "I cried about that for days. I was so angry at her but I couldn't stay angry at her for long. I never could."

Maggie flipped the page and the first picture that came into view was a toddler Maggie, naked in the bathtub. Her face lit up and she slammed the book shut.

"Okay, that's enough of that." She said, setting it down on her bedside table.

Glenn smirked as he raised a hand to intertwine in her hair before pushing her back so she was laying on the bed. He pressed a light kiss to her lips and she smiled against it.

"It's not like I haven't seen you naked before." He mumbled, trailing his kisses down to her neck.

Maggie giggled as the sensation tickled her neck. But just before things got too heated, she flipped them over so she could take control. She gave him a couple more feathery kisses before getting off the bed. Glenn groaned and threw his arm over his head.

"Come on, Casanova, we're on chicken duty today." She said, pulling on his arm to stand up.

Glenn's looked disgusted as he thought about cleaning up the chicken pens, full of feces and urine.

"And the mood is killed." He said, holding the door open for Maggie.

"For now." Maggie flirted as she walked passed him and out the door.

Glenn followed her with a grin.

* * *

The next morning, everyone was seated around the small fire Lori had made to boil some water. Glenn had gone to Grace's tent a few minutes prior to help her walk to one of the chairs. With everyone around, the tension in the air was almost suffocating. Everyone had one thing on their mind: Randall.

"So what are you going to do?" Lori asked, pouring some water into a cup and handing it to Carl. "We'll all feel better if we hear the plan."

"Is there a plan?" Andrea butted in.

"We gonna' keep him here?" Glenn asked, plopping down in the seat next to Grace.

Rick exchanged a look with Shane.

"We'll know soon enough." Rick said, nodding towards the sight of Daryl walking up to the group.

Daryl glanced over at Grace before looking at Rick. Grace could see the blood that covered his knuckles and her face turned white.

"Boys got a gang. 'Bout thirty of them. Heavy artillery and they're not lookin' to make friends." Daryl said. "They roll through here and our boys will be dead…our women, they're gonna' wish they were."

Lori looked appalled as the group fell silent.

"What'd you do?" Carol's soft voice drifted from the back of the crowd.

Daryl couldn't stop himself from looking at Grace, his eyes drifting down to her wound. That boy's group was responsible for her getting shot. They were responsible for her hurt. That thought had fueled his anger as he interrogated the boy. And then hearing about the raping…those girls could have well been Grace or Maggie or anyone at this camp. So he had tossed him around some. Beat the kid silly. He looked down at the blood decorating his hands and felt pride.

"We had a little chat." He answered nonchalantly, moving to sit down on one of the chairs.

Carol let out a tiny scoff before walking away.

"Alright." Rick said, gaining control of the conversation. "No one goes near that boy until he's dealt with."

"Rick, what are you going to do?" Lori asked.

Rick let out a huff a breath, "We have no choice. He's a threat."

Shane nodded beside him, agreeing with Rick for once.

"We have to eliminate the threat." Rick said.

"You're just going to kill him?" Dale asked incredulously.

"It's settled." Rick commanded. "We'll do it today."

As Rick hurried away from the group, Dale was quick to follow. Grace watched with a frown as the two men walked away from the group.

* * *

"Daryl!" Grace shouted as she limped towards the hunter who was storming off into the woods. "Daryl!"

The man ignored her so she sped up her pace, eager to catch up with him. Each step she took was killing her but the pain was somehow muted with the thought of being able to talk to Daryl. She needed to try and explain herself again. She needed him to talk to her, to hold her, to kiss her. She wanted to fix their relationship. So she kept going. Trying to close the distance between them.

"Daryl, please!" She pleaded. "I just want to talk to you."

Daryl finally whirled around. She expected to see anger in his eyes, hurt betrayal, pain. But instead, she saw nothing. It almost scared her the way he looked at her. As if he didn't know her, as if she was a stranger. His eyes were guarded and held no emotion. She swallowed heavily but stopped. Her leg throbbed with pain.

"I-Please Daryl, please stop running away from me." She choked out.

Daryl merely rose an eyebrow and grunted, "I'm not runnin' nowhere."

"Yes you are." Grace said, more conviction in her tone. "You won't talk to me. You won't even look at me anymore. I just…I don't want you to be mad anymore."

"I'm not mad." Daryl deflected, his tone neutral.

"The hell you're not!" Grace suddenly exclaimed.

Daryl's eyes widened in surprise for a fraction of a second before they narrowed.

"I have nothing to say to you." He snapped before turning away and walking off.

"Wait, Daryl just stop for a second." Grace called, trailing after him.

Her leg suddenly gave out from all the pain and she tumbled to the floor. Tears sparked up in her eyes as she grunted in frustration. She was tired of being weak. She was tired of having to be taken care of. She had relied so much on Daryl and the group, and now she was paying for her mistakes. She heard a long sigh and footsteps. She looked up to see Daryl walking back towards her.

He hooked his arm around her and lifted her up gently. Slowly, he took her back in her tent and sat her down.

"Stay inside." He barked at her before leaving.

Once he was gone, Grace finally let the tears tumble out of her eyes. With anger and frustration, she grabbed onto her pillow and chucked it at the tent opening. She was so sick and tired of this. She didn't want to sit inside, didn't want people feeling like they had to cater to her every need. No wonder everyone saw her as just a child. Because that's all she every acted like. A fucking child.

And Daryl. She had lost Daryl because of it.

She picked up her bible and began to leaf through the pages. The answers had to be in here somewhere. They had to be. She needed to fix all of this. She had to. She couldn't continue like this. She read and read and read and read but she couldn't find the answers. She couldn't find anything. Even God had turned his back on her. The words began to blur together as new tears formed in her eyes.

She felt anger begin to seize her heart. Anger at her parents for leaving her alone to deal with all this, anger at Daryl for refusing to listen to her, anger at the group for treating her like a child, anger at God for not giving her the answers, but most of all, angry at herself for just being who she was. She tore at the pages of her bible, ripping them apart and tossing them behind her back. She had spent her whole life worshipping this book, and now what was it doing for her? It had taught her nothing about this world. It didn't teach her how to kill a Walker, how to make clean water, how to cook squirrel meat, how to milk a cow, how to build barriers and how to keep herself alive. And it didn't teach her how to love Daryl.

She tossed the bible away from her and pulled her knees into her chest, muffling her sobs.

She was so lost.

* * *

**AN: And so there is the very short chapter 18. I hope ya'll enjoyed nonetheless. I should be able to get into the regular routine of updating again. Sooo chapter 19 won't take soo long. Thank you for reading! Don't forget to drop a review!**


	19. Sad, Beautiful, Tragic

**Author's Note:** AHHHH so another super long wait between chapters. Terribly sorry guys! I just been having some problems with plot details and I'm still not even satisfied with this chapter. I'm not even completely sure I want to publish this as I type this author's note out. But I know I owe you guys at least something. So I guess I'll take a chance and post this. Now I'm like 90% sure this is the second to last chapter of the story. So the next chapter that comes out is most likely going to be the end of Safe and Sound :( But of course, there will be a sequel so don't fret. ANYWAYS, I hope you enjoy this chapter even though I'm not quite liking it too much to be honest. But it was fun to write so I hope its fun to read :) Don't forget to drop a review.

Also sorry I haven't been replying to reviews/and or PMS. I got to a few today but I'm still working on them! Thanks again for all the support. Love you all.

***Warning: Sexy times up ahead ;)**

* * *

Safe and Sound

Chapter 19: Sad, Beautiful, Tragic

* * *

Grace stood at the base of the RV. She hadn't been assigned any chores or duties and without Daryl's guidance, or anyone's really for that matter, she wasn't too sure what to do with herself. It had always been this way. She couldn't recall a time when she had to make a decision on her own. It was always her father, or mother. What clothes to wear, how to act, what to think, what classes to take, who to be. Even her friends had pushed her into doing most things. School dances, what boy to like, who to talk to. And on the more abstract occasions, it was God telling her what to do. Even after they were all gone, it had been Daryl who had kept her moving, always instructing her or making sure she had something to do. But now that was gone as well.

So what did she do now?

She peered in the direction of Daryl's new campsite. She could make out his figure pacing around a burnt out fire pit. It stopped for a moment, and her heart caught in her throat. Then he ducked into his tent and disappeared from view. She let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding in. She wanted to run to him and hold him, apologize until he had no choice but to forgive her. But after last night's episode, she had come to the conclusion that pushing him like that would only drive him further away.

"Grace!" A strong voice shook her to the core.

She turned around, a guilty face as though she had been caught doing something wrong. She was met with the sight of Shane stomping towards her. In his hands was a glass of water and a plate with a small piece of meat on it. She froze in her place until he was just a hair away from her.

He thrust the two objects into her hands before she could even say anything.

"Take this to that asshole in the barn." He commanded. "I ain't playin' babysitter today."

And then he stomped off, not even waiting for a response.

She let out a sigh and looked down at the plate in her hands. Well, at least she had something to do now, even if the thought of seeing Randall positively scared her. She looked in the direction of Daryl's campsite once more, wishing he would come out of his tent and just glance at her or anything. Anything but ignore her. But he didn't. So she took off towards the barn.

The latch on the barn door was unlocked, which was surprising. She figured they had locked the boy up good after all this debate about how bad he was. But she shrugged it off. Had it been locked, she would not have been able to get inside to give him the food.

Grace hesitantly pushed the door open with the back of her wrist, trying to balance the glass of water and the plate without spilling anything. Light trickled into the dark room and the prisoner's dark eyes squinted, trying to adjust to the contrast. Grace blanched at the sight of him. She never had the chance to catch view of him since he had been brought here since she had spent most of the days healing either in the room or in her tent. She had always thought he was older. Much older. A man.

But sitting in front of her was a boy.

Just a boy.

"Hey, I ain't ever seen you before." He said as she stood frozen in her spot. "Reckon yer the girl that got shot."

Grace nodded, swallowing heavily as she took a timid step towards him.

"Look, I'm real sorry." Randall continued. "Had we known ya'll were such nice folks, we wouldn't of started shootin', I swear it!"

Grace listened to him apprehensively, taking a few steps closer until she stood about 3 feet away from the boy. She half debated setting the food down and pushing it over to him but she realized there would be no way for him to eat it with his hands tied. Was she going to have to untie him?

"We're real good people just like your group, I mean it." He rambled on. "We got women and children too! Ya'll would fit right in."

"You're friends don't seem real nice." Grace cut in, finally finding her voice." Leavin' you like that to be killed. I was hurt too but my group helped me make it back."

Randall's eyes hardened at her speech but then he let out a long breath and looked away.

"It was all probably just a misunderstandin'." He claimed.

"Maybe." Grace humored him. "Now I got some food for you but I don't know how you're going to eat it with your hands tied like that. Do they normally untie you when they feed you?"

A glint flashed through Randall's eyes, but with his head turned away, Grace missed it.

"Yes, Ma'am." Randall said, sounding completely convincing." That Asian boy who feed me last untied my hands and let me eat some. Then he tied 'em back up but it's mighty uncomfortable."

Grace set the plate down on the floor and put the glass right next to it. She closed the distance between them but didn't make any further move to untie him. Her palms began to sweat as she stared down at the prisoner. He looked to be her age. His dark hair was matted to his forehead, caked with sweat, dirt and blood. His shirt was in a worse condition and he had large bags around his eyes.

Part of her wanted to untie him and help him escape. Was it fair of them to be keeping him here like some pig waiting to be slaughtered? Was it their call to judge him? She looked back towards the door. Would anyone notice if she slipped him out of her? Would they suspect it was her? No. She knew they wouldn't. They'd blame someone else.

She looked back down at Randall, conflict written on her face.

"I ain't gonna hurt ya' if that's what yer thinkin'." Randall's voice caught her attention. "I dunno what they others might've told ya' about me, but I'm a nice guy. I promise."

Grace felt herself deflate as she stared into his pleading brown eyes. He was just a boy. She bent down to her knees, her hands reaching for the rope holding his wrists together. She wouldn't help him escape, but the boy had to it.

Just as her fingers grazed the coarse material, a loud, familiar voice made her scramble away from Randall.

"What the hell are ya' doin', girl?" Daryl nearly shouted as he took in the scene. "Git away from him. Now."

Grace stood up and fumbled backwards almost tripping over the glass of water.

"What are ya' doin' in here?" He growled.

"S-Shane." Grace choked out before clearing her throat and answering."Shane sent me to give him some food."

"Is that right?" Daryl grunted bitterly. "Are ya' Shane's new lapdog or something?"

"What? No!" Grace exclaimed. "I just-"

"Go on. Get out." Daryl interrupted. He stormed past her, knocking her out of the way and picking up the plate and glass. "I'll feed him myself."

"But I-"

"I said: Get. Out." Daryl said lowly, not even looking in her direction.

Randall watched a disheartened Grace shamble out of the barn before he turned his attention back to Daryl's threatening presence.

"If that's how ya'll treat yer women here, I don't think ya'll are much better than my group as ya' think."

Grace winced as she heard the start of Randall's cries. She quickly hurried back towards the farmhouse so she didn't have to hear it anymore. She was nearly there when she was stopped.

"Grace!" Her name being called made her turn in her spot.

Dale's figure popped up from by the RV, waving her over. She gave him a small smile and made her way towards him.

"You heard about the situation with Randall?" Dale asked as soon as the girl was close enough.

"How they want to kill him?" Grace questioned. "Yeah, I know."

"Well, Rick told me if I can find enough people who are against the idea, we can discuss other options." Dale said. "We're meeting as a group at sunset."

Grace nodded slowly, "Have you talked to Daryl yet?"

Dale shook his head, "Haven't gotten around to him yet. You're the first person I've gone to."

Grace bit her lip in conflict. She had strong opinions and she had never been really quiet about them.

"Well, I don't think it's right to kill him, if that's the what you're looking for." Grace answered. "God didn't put Randall in our grasp for us to kill him. God is the ultimate judge. We are only his disciples and that power should not be in our hands. Killing Randall isn't the answer. If God wanted Randall dead, he would be. So he must have some purpose in this world, some reason for being here. Why else did Rick go to such lengths to save him? I've talked to him some. His group mighta' been bad, but I don't think it's too late to steer him on the right path. With a little help from God, anything can happen."

Dale's face brightened at her speech.

"So you'll stand with me on this one?" He asked.

"Did you even have to ask?" Grace smiled lightly. A smile which Dale returned.

"I know I could count on you, Grace."

* * *

Daryl let out a long breath as he recognized Dale's form walking up to his makeshift campsite.

"The whole point of me comin' up here was to get away from ya' people." He groaned in annoyance.

"Going to take more than that." Dale said lightheartedly.

"Carol send ya'?" Daryl asked, thinking of the woman's visit yesterday.

"Carol's not the only one concerned about you and your new role in the group." Dale replied. "And you know how much Grace cares for you."

Daryl merely grunted, "Don't need my head shrunk. This group is broken. Better off fending for myself."

"If you really thought that, you would have left already." Dale said. "Something's keeping you here."

The older man didn't miss the direction the redneck's gaze drifted too. But then his cobalt eyes snapped back towards him and he gave him a small shrug before loading some bolts in his sack.

"You act like you don't care."

"Yeah. That's 'cause I don't." Daryl mumbled.

"So live or die, you don't care what happens to Randall?" Dale asked.

"Nope." Daryl shrugged, rubbing at the grime on his face.

"So then why not stand with me. Save the kid's life." Dale said. "If it really doesn't matter one way or another."

Daryl shrugged on his vest as he answered Dale, "Didn't peg you for a desperate son of a bitch."

"Your opinion makes a difference."

"Ain't nobody lookin' at me for nothing." Daryl grunted.

"Carol is. And you know Grace does. And I am, right now." Dale replied. "And you obviously have Rick's ear."

"Rick just looks to Shane." Daryl said, not wanting to bring up Grace or Carol. "Let him."

"And what about Grace?" Dale asked suddenly. "She agrees with me. You had to have seen that coming. Don't you think you'll be disappointing her if you let them kill him?"

Daryl just picked up his crossbow, turning his back to them. He didn't want anyone to see how much that question had bothered him. And he didn't even know why it should bother him. That girl had straight up lied to him. She had disappointed him. Why should he care if he disappointed her now?

Dale knew he wasn't going to get anywhere with that approach so he quickly changed tactics, "You cared about what happened to Sophia. You cared what it meant to the group. Torturing people, that isn't you. You're a decent man. So is Rick. Shane is different."

"Why is that? 'Cause he killed Otis?" Daryl grumbled, turning back to look at the older man.

Dale's face dropped into one of shock as he walked closer to Daryl.

"Who told you that?" He questioned.

"Told his story of how Otis covered him. Saved his ass. But then he shows up with a dead guy's gun. Rick ain't stupid. He didn't figure that out, it's cause he don't wanna." Daryl said, stepping away towards the woods, "It's like I said. This group is broken."

Daryl disappeared into the line of trees before Dale could even respond. And he didn't care what the older man had to say. They all knew how dangerous Shane was becoming. Just no one wanted to accept it. No one had the guts to do anything about it.

Grace's face popped up in his mind at the thought of the danger Shane brought and suddenly he was gripping the crossbow tight enough to make his hand cramp. It was making him angry having these feelings for that girl. That girl who had so easily lied straight to his face.

"_Don't you think you'll be disappointing her if you let them kill him?"_

Dale's words echoed in his head and that uncomfortable feeling bundled up in his stomach. Why did he care so much if he disappointed her? She had lied to him. She had manipulated him. And then she had the nerve to tell him she loved him? He should be angry, upset. He should hate her.

But he didn't. And that was why he was angry. Because he wasn't even mad at her. He couldn't be. How could he? It was Grace. Grace. The girl who had somehow weaved her way into his heart and branded her initials on it. The girl who looked towards him anytime a decision had to be made. The girl who wanted nothing more than to curl up in his arms.

Daryl grimaced as he realized he was stomping through the trees. There was no way he was going to be able to hunt now that he was all worked up. With a loud sigh, he turned back around and headed for his campsite. It took him longer than he thought it would and he wondered how long he had been caught up in his thoughts.

Once he got back, he sat himself on a log and began to carve for bolts for his crossbow. He needed to be prepared for anything.

Daryl's calloused hands gripped the wood of his bolt tightly as his knife chiseled away at the end. His brows were pulled down in concentration, as he stared at the bits of wood fibers falling to the ground. Randall's blood still coated his knuckles, an unpleasant reminder of the day's events. But the red stains were not what was bothering him now. No. It was the bastard's words that echoed in his head, settling in his throat and burning their way down to his stomach.

His knife came down to hard on the bolt and cut the tip right off. He threw it down in frustration before running a hand over his face.

Had Randall been right?

Was he really treating Grace that badly?

"_If that's how ya'll treat yer women here, I don't think ya'll are much better than my group as ya' think."_

He glanced over at the girl in questions tent. He didn't treat her that badly. No. Not as bad as Randall's group. He might be gruff with her at times, like today in the barn. But he was not as bad as Randall's group. He didn't rape her, or beat her, or call her demeaning names. He wasn't doing any of that.

_No, you're only breaking her heart, _A very Carol-like voice whispered in his mind. Daryl pulled at the space between his eyebrows. It wasn't his fault that the stupid girl had gone and fallen in love with him. Hell, how could he even believe she was telling the truth when she said it.

That thought was instantly gone through. He didn't want to believe that she had meant it. But deep down, he knew. He just knew. And he also knew that he felt some pretty strong feelings for her too. Not love. Never love. Dixon's didn't fall in love, didn't feel love. But he knew he cared for her and wanted to be with her despite how much he tried to deny it.

So what was keeping him from being with her?

Sophia. Her lies.

But was even important anymore? Even when they had some group quite possibly breathing down their neck, waiting to kill all the men and rape their women?

And what if the group did manage to find them and got to Grace before Daryl even had the chance to protect all because he was too busy avoiding her because she had lied to him? Would it be worth it then?

Daryl's body acted on its own accord, answering the question his mind refused to. It wasn't until he was in Grace's tent, ducking against the low ceiling with her confused eyes watching him, a ripped up Bible in her lap, did he realize where he had been walking.

"Daryl?" Grace breathed out, wrapping herself self-consciously with her blanket.

Daryl stumbled over his words for a second, a little confused himself before saying quite possibly the only thing that even made sense at the moment, "Don't go into that barn again, ya' got me? And don't be takin' no orders from Shane. Ya' listen to me or Rick, got it?"

Grace nodded, still confused as to why he was even talking to her. Daryl looked around for a moment, his hand coming up to rub the back of his neck. He looked extremely uncomfortable and out of place.

"Ok, well good. That's all I needed to say." He mumbled before backing out of the tent.

"Daryl, wait!" Grace called out, making him pause in his retreat. "Don't leave. Not just yet. Please."

"What is it?" Daryl asked, ducking back inside the tent for a moment.

"I just wanted-I mean, I just needed-" Grace choked out. "I mean, I know I've said this a thousand times but I just need to say it again. I'm sorry, okay. For lying to you. I didn't mean to hurt you. I just wanted…well, I wanted the opposite really. But now I've hurt you and I really, really didn't mean it and I'm just so sorry and I love you so much. And you won't even talk to me, or look at me. And I don't know how to live without you because I don't want to. And I-"

"I ain't mad at you." Daryl cut in before she could ramble on anymore. She quickly shut up and looked at him with wide eyes. He let out a heavy breath through his nose before sitting next to her on the cot.

"You aren't mad at me?" She asked in confusion, sitting up a little more.

"Not anymore." Daryl sighed.

"So then, what are you?" Grace asked. "Cause you won't look at me or talk to me anymore. And I just want things to go back to normal."

"Look, I dunno, Grace." Daryl said. He rubbed at his arm self-consciously, refusing to meet her stare. "I ain't ever been with a woman like I am with you now. I don't know how to…well I don't know what to do."

Grace looked down at her hands.

"Well, I ain't ever been with a boy," He gave her a hard look. "…man like I am with you either."

"So we both don't know what we're doin'." Daryl grumbled.

He looked at Grace finally, catching her eyes as she gave a weak chuckle at his words. His face softened briefly, and her heart skipped a beat. But as soon as the look came, it was gone and the shell was back up. He stood up abruptly, making his way towards the exit.

"I should go." He said.

But then Grace's hand caught onto his wrist and she was pulling him back before he could even take a step away. She was getting him back. Slowly, of course. But they were making progress. She wasn't about to let him leave now.

"Daryl, can't we just talk about this?" She pleaded.

He ripped his arm from her grasp, "I ain't gonna' sit here and talk about my feelings like some pussy. Who do ya' think I am, girl?"

Grace felt a bit of frustration wash over her, "Well if ya' can't tell me how you feel, can you show me?"

Daryl turned around and glanced down at her. She gazed up at him with hopeful eyes. She just wanted him back. No matter what. Her gaze drifted down to his lips, watching as he gnawed on them with his teeth. She finally looked back up at him and his eyes were filled with such intensity that set her blood on fire. And then he was right in front of her, kneeling to her height.

"Daryl, I-"

"Don't say anything." He grunted, his warm breath drifting across her parted lips.

And then his rough lips were covering her own. A moan vibrated in the back of her throat at the feeling that she had been missing for days. At the sound, Daryl's hand drifted up to her shoulder, pushing her down so she was lying flat against the cot. His warm body moved on top of her's, his arms keeping his weight from crushing her smaller body.

His wet tongue brushed against her bottom lip, commanding her to open her mouth. She parted her lips smoothly and let him deepen the kiss. Their tongues started a dance of passion as her hands drifted up his arms to tangle in his growing hair. Daryl's teeth nipped at her soft tongue, causing an electrifying jolt to travel through her body. Her hips raised in a natural response, finding his in order to press herself closer to the man. Daryl let out a groan at the feeling and one of his hands traveled down to her hip in order to push her back down. He broke the kiss, running his lips over her jaw.

"Slow down, baby girl." He whispered against her skin. The feeling of his warm breath contrasted with his cool kisses, sending another tingle through her body.

His mouth moved to the underside of her chin, kissing her pressure spot. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she let out a whimper of pleasure. Daryl smirked against her, satisfied that he found her power button. He pressed a few more kisses there before swirling his tongue around the spot. She gave him the pleasure of a few more moans before he moved on, sucking on her neck.

Her hands were at the bottom of his shirt now, beginning to tug on it. Daryl was a bit surprised at her forward move, but parted from her neck for a moment to allow her to take his shirt off. As soon as the article of clothing was removed from him, her hands began running up and down his arms and shoulders before touching any part of his chest that she could reach.

Daryl flipped them over effortlessly, allowing her to be on top for once. Their mouths met each other again as Grace began stroking the new areas on his chest that were now on display for her. Daryl's own hands began working on the buttons that were holding Grace's shirt together. His experience hands made quick work of it, and soon he was pushing if from her shoulders. But he wasn't satisfied there. He wanted to feel more of her. See more of her smooth, milky skin.

His hands traveled to her back and quickly unhooked her bra. The straps slid down her shoulders at the release and she pulled away from touching Daryl to place her hands on either side of his head. The new position caused it to slide down even more and Grace let Daryl pull it away from her body. She was still breathing heavily from their kiss, her chest moving up and down in quick patterns. Daryl's hands ghosted up her sides were he grasped her firmly. With the strength of his toned arms, he slid her up, causing her chest to fall in line with his face.

He took his time taking in their sight. His hands ghosted over her small buds, making her let out a breathy moan and arch her back in response. He felt his lower region twitch at the sight before he lifted his head up in order to take one of her breast in his mouth. His tongue swirled around her peak, causing her arms to waver. She wasn't sure she would be able to hold herself up much longer. Not with the tingles and jolts Daryl was sending through her body. Daryl must of sensed that because he flipped them over again and slid down her body under his mouth was latched onto her again.

Her newly free hands drifted into his hair, holding his head in place as she continued to moan at his touch. He gave the same attention to her other side before he drifted back up to her mouth, giving her a small kiss on the lips before pulling away.

"Tell me what ya' want, baby girl." He murmured against her lips.

"I want more of you." Grace replied, her voice lowered with lust and passion.

She had thought about this moment ever since she had that talk with Beth. She had been apprehensive at first. But right now, in the moment she knew she wanted it. And it felt right. Everything Daryl ever did to her felt right. And she was ready to go farther. Maybe not completely, but she didn't lie when she said she wanted more of him. Because she did.

Daryl continued to nip at her ear but didn't make any further moves. Grace paused in anticipation but then realized he was waiting for her to make the move, wanted her to control the situation. To show him how far she was willing to go. One of her hands drifted down to her shorts with uncertainty. She felt Daryl lift himself off her even more to allow her better access. The cool button felt odd against her skin which was now on fire.

She glanced at Daryl, finding his eyes, searching. Searching for something. For anything. Something that told her that he was here now and he wasn't going to leave. Some that told her he wanted to be with her and that he forgave her. Something that told her he felt the same way as she did. He studied her for a moment. His gaze was warm, filled with lust but more so filled with just pure contempt. He lowered his head and took her mouth again. His kiss was filled with all the answers to her questions.

She hesitantly unbuttoned her shorts and began to push down the zipper. The noise made Daryl pull away from her. He stared in her blue eyes, waiting for an answer to his question now. She gave him a slight nod, feeling more than nervous. Part of her wanted to throw up, butterflies and anticipation eating away at her stomach. Another part of her wanted to curl up in the blanket and send him away. But a large part of her had never felt so excited in her life. Daryl pushed himself up and away from her, sitting back. She propped herself up on her elbows to watch him, trying to keep her body from shaking too bad from the nerves.

Daryl's warm hands were on her hips now, gripping the jean material. Her breath caught in her throat as he slowly began to pull them away from his hips and down her thighs. She felt a weird warmth begin to spread through her core and before she could even evaluate the feeling, her shorts were off and she was only covered by her cotton panties. Daryl's hands were back on her hips, grasping at the uncovered skin there. He pulled her lightly, sliding her towards him until his knees were just between her thighs. He pulled up on her legs, pressing a kiss to her knee which made her freeze. He slowly looked at her.

"Are ya' sure yer ready?" He questioned. His voice was husky.

Grace nodded, "I think so."

Daryl leaned back over her, pressing another kiss to her swollen lips.

"I don't want a 'think so', baby." He whispered. "I want a 'know so'."

Grace gulped, her nerves making her hands shake as she stroked the hairs on the back of his neck before she pressed a kiss to his jaw.

"I'm ready." She said, her voice filled with confidence.

Daryl accepted her answer, but his gaze didn't leave her's as his hand began to slide down her body, through the crevice of her breasts, through the light hairs on her stomach, until it stopped just before her underwear. Her breath hitched and Daryl pressed another kiss to her mouth.

And then his hand was inside her panties and she had never felt so filled with sin. So filled with greed and lust. And for once, she didn't care. Because she had also never felt so loved and excited. Never felt so alive. Never felt so wonderful in her life.

His fingers ghosted over the button he knew would get her going. He kissed her once more before watching her as he finally swirled his fingers around the sensitive bud. Her eyes instantly closed and she gave out a long moan, making Daryl twitch in his pants.

"Open yer eyes, baby girl." Daryl said.

Her blue eyes shot open and they were filled with lust, desire, passion and love. The intensity reeled Daryl in as he stared down at the girl…his girl. His fingers made quick work on her, sending her into a wonderland of his own. She could feel lightening striking on each section of her skin. Could feel a hurricane racing through her mind as his fingers danced across her sensitive skin. And his cobalt eyes were staring into her's, watching as she lost herself in the feeling. Watching as every part of her being was crumbled and being rearranged into something else.

And then suddenly, there was stars. Stars and bright sun in her eyes and mind. And she was arching her back, and Daryl's name was spilling out of her mouth and her eyes squeezed shut and she was engulfed in pure color. And she had never been so breathless in her life, so deep in pleasure and passion and love. And the moment was over far too quick and she was opening her eyes once more. And Daryl was there to greet her on her trip back to reality. And she swore in that moment, she fell in love with him all over again.

"How was that?" Daryl whispered before pressing a kiss to her temple. Her eyes fluttered shut for a moment before she met his gaze again.

"Amazing." She said, her voice sounding breathless in her ears.

Daryl smiled, feeling quite invincible. He had given the preacher's daughter her first orgasm.

Suddenly the girl's face went pure white and she pushed on his chest to sit up. A frown covered his face. Was she regretting it now? Was this not what she wanted? Dread filled his stomach.

"Oh my god, Daryl." She exclaimed, looking at him. "I was so loud! Everyone must've of heard me…heard us!"

Daryl nearly fell over in relief. That was what she was worried about? Right now? He let out a low chuckled causing the girl to glare at him.

"Calm yer tits, baby girl." He laughed. "Most of the men are on patrol and the women and Carl are in that house helpin' wash up. Ain't nobody this far out except me and you."

Daryl was always alert. Always knew what was going on. And for that, Grace was extremely grateful for. She fell back in relief, her face returning to its normal blush. Daryl chuckled again and threw his arm over her naked chest, pulling her into him. She collapsed in his arms, smiling at the feeling. She had missed this. She had missed this so much. She felt something hard press into the side of her thigh and her face turned red when she realized what it was.

Suddenly a grin spread over her face and Daryl looked at her curiously.

"What are ya' thinkin'?" Daryl asked cautiously.

Grace's answer was her hand traveling down his chest to unbutton his jeans. He suddenly grasped her smaller hand in his.

"Ya' don't have to do that, baby girl." He said. He didn't want her thinking that she owed him anything.

"But I want to." She whispered, pressing a kiss to his chin.

Daryl had no words so he let her unzip his jeans and slid her hands into his boxers. He froze once her small hand grasped him a little hesitantly. He felt a groan vibrate in the back of his throat but Grace made no further movement, much to his disappointed.

"I don't…I don't know what to do." She admitted, her face red.

Daryl grabbed her hand in his, "I'll show ya'."

He moved their hands together at a slow pace. He couldn't refrain himself from moaning. Her velvet skin just felt so good against him. After controlling her hand for a few moments, he let her take control. Grace watched him closely as she stroked him. His eyes shut firmly and small grunts pushed their way through his throat. She was just happy she was making him feel as good as he made her feel.

It took longer to get him off than how easily he had pushed her over the edge. But she worked her hand on him, gaining pace every time she felt he was closer. And then she ran a finger over his tip, and that had been the boiling point. Daryl let out a low growl and suddenly warm, white liquid was shooting into her hand. She continued to stroke him until he felt soft and opened his eyes.

"I love you, Daryl." She said, her hand still wrapped around him. Daryl pressed a passion filled kiss against her lips again before pulling his hand off him. He grabbed his shirt from the floor and wiped her hand clean before zipping up his pants and wrapping his arms around her. She smiled with pure happiness and laid her head against his chest.

"Rest now, Baby girl." He whispered, kissing her temple again.

"But we have that meeting at sunset." She replied sleepily.

"I'll wake you up." He said, stroking her hair and luring her into a nap.

* * *

Daryl had been true to his word and woken Grace up when it was time for the meeting. He had helped her get dressed in her clothes, pressing kisses onto any part of her he could find while he did so. Grace had felt that she was still in a dream. That her whole day had been a dream. She had never felt so good in her life. Her legs were still a little shaky from what Daryl had done to her earlier.

Daryl had gone back to his little campsite to grab a new shirt before he walked to the house with Grace. Everyone was already gathered outside and they all made their way into the farmhouse. Grace shot a small smile to Dale but he didn't look so optimistic.

"So how do we do this?" Rick asked. "Take a vote?"

"Does it have to be unanimous?" Andrea asked.

Grace stepped closer to Daryl, taking his hand in her's. He tensed for a minute but let her take comfort in his touch.

"Well let's just see where everyone stands. And then we can talk through the options." Rick said in his leader voice.

"Well, the way I see it, there's only one way to move forward." Shane butted in.

"Killing him?" Dale quickly scoffed. "Right? Don't even bother to take a vote. It's clear which way the wind is blowing."

"Well if people feel like we should spare him, I want to know." Rick said, rubbing his forehead.

"Well I'll tell ya' it's a small group." Dale sighed. "Maybe just me, Grace and Glenn."

His eyes met Grace and she gave him a quick nod. And then he looked down at Glenn who was sitting on the piano bench and the asian quickly adverted his eyes.

"Look, I think you're right about everything pretty much all the time." Glenn choked. "But not about this-"

"They've got you scared!" Dale exclaimed in disbelief.

"He's not one of us!" Glenn sighed. "And we've lost too many people already."

"What about you?" Dale asked, pointing at Maggie. "Do you agree with this?"

"Can't we just continue to keep him prisoner?" Maggie asked, crossing her arms.

"Just another mouth to feed." Daryl jumped in. He tried to ignore the look Grace sent him.

"It might be a lean winter." Hershel said, siding with Daryl.

"We could ration better." Lori put in.

"Or he could be an asset!" Dale said. "Give him a chance to prove himself!"

"Put him to work? I don't trust him to walk around." Rick said.

"Put an escort on him." Maggie said.

"And who wants to volunteer for that duty?" Shane asked bitterly.

"I will!" Dale said, his voice strong.

"I don't think anyone should be walkin' around with this guy." Rick said, putting a stop to that discussion.

"He's right. I wouldn't feel safe unless he was tied up." Lori agreed.

Grace pulled herself closer to Daryl as the debate pressed forward. Ideas were bounced back and forth. The group was slowly transforming into a pack of monsters. Playing God and sending some boy up to be executed. This wasn't there duty as human beings. This wasn't their call. Someone's life should not be in their hands.

Grace stepped forward, ready to put out her opinion. But Daryl pulled her back firmly and shook his head, commanding her to stay quiet. His look said it all. It didn't matter what anyone had to say in defense for Randall. It was always going to come back to the possibility that he could end up getting them all killed.

"If you were going to do it, how will it be done?" Patricia asked, her voice quiet and weak. "Will he suffer?"

"We could hang him." Shane suggested. "Snap his neck."

Grace let out a small gasp as the mental image of Randall swinging from a rope piled up in her mind. She turned her face into Daryl's shoulder.

"I was thinking that. It might be more humane to shoot him." Rick replied.

Grace's body tensed up even more and Daryl released her hand. He snaked his hand up her back and rubbed the back of her neck, trying to soothe her.

"What about the body-" T-Dog began to ask.

"Now hold on!" Dale cut in. "You're talking about this like it's already been decided."

"We've been talking all day. Goin' 'round in circles. Ya' wanna go 'round in circles again." Daryl said.

"This is a young man's life!" Dale exclaimed. "And it is worth more than a five minute conversation. Is this what its come to? Killing someone because we don't know what else to do with him? And you saved him! And now look at us. He's been tortured. He's going to be executed. How are we any different than those people we're so afraid of?"

Grace was tired of listening to this. She couldn't stop herself from picturing Randall's face in her mind. He was just a boy. He hadn't even really live yet. And now they were keeping him in some barn, tied up and beaten without knowing when he was going to die but knowing that it was coming. And then she remembered how she had been in his situation. Taken by some other group, held in some barn, beaten and scared. And this was just all too familiar for all. It was all just so real to her. The other's couldn't see it like she could because they couldn't put themselves in his situation. But she could.

The group rambled on and suddenly Daryl felt coldness on his shoulder and realized Grace was crying. He frowned and pulled her into his chest, not really sure what else to do. He should of let her sleep through this meeting. He had known the group was broken. He had known it was going to come down to this. Grace didn't need to hear this.

"If anyone wants the floor before we make the final decision, now is the chance." Rick said before things got too heated between Carol and Dale.

"Grace, come on." Dale said. "I know you have something to say."

"Hey now don't ya' bring her into this." Daryl growled, tightening his hold on the girl. But Grace pulled away from his embrace and wiped at her eyes.

"It's okay, Daryl." She whispered before stepping away from him.

She looked towards the group, taking in solemn expressions before she met Dale's eyes. He encouraged her forward with a smile.

"I think ya'll are sitting around here taking on the role that shouldn't even be in your hands. We are not God. We do not get to judge other's sins and we do not get to condemn people to death when we see fit. Now God obviously has some plan for Randall. If he was supposed to be dead, he'd be dead. But he's not." Grace said. "And he's here with us now, which means God intends for him to have some sort of part in our destinies. If you go on and kill him, you're ruining God's whole plan. And that is a very, very dangerous thing."

Her ominous words seemed to cast a whole new darkness within the group but Grace seemed not to notice. She rounded back to Daryl, eager for his comforting embrace. He took his girl back into his arms as the group process her words. No one seemed to have anything to say.

"You once said thatwe don't kill the living." Dale brought up.

"Well that was before the living tried to kill us." Rick said bitterly.

"Well don't you see that if we do this, the people that we were and the world that we knew is dead. And this new world is ugly. It's harsh. It's survival of the fittest. And that's a world I don't want to live in and I don't believe that any of you do. I can't. Please, let's just do what's right. Isn't anyone else going to stand with us?"

It was quiet for a long moment.

But then Andrea stepped forward, watching Dale closely.

"Their right." She said. "We should try to find another way."

"Anybody else?" Rick asked.

When no one stepped forward, Dale let out a humorless laugh.

"Are you all going to watch to?" He asked. "No you'll go hide your heads in your tent and forget that we're slaughtering a human being. I won't be a party to it."

Dale stormed off but not before stopping long enough to look at Daryl.

"This group is broken."

* * *

**Author's Note: So there ya' have it. The beginning to the end. Hope ya'll enjoyed it. PLEASE drop a review and lemme know whatcha thing because I'm still half debating deleting this chapter and starting over haha. But I'll throw this one to the wolves and hope it does okay. Thank you for reading and thanks to everyone who reviews and favorites and follows. You guys are literally the reason this story is being written! Love you all! Until next time!**


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